A study suggests that mobile-based and cloud-based systems aid in the self-management of people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). The study appeared in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.
Researchers sought to construct a theory-based mobile health (mHealth) app for managing T2D. The app’s development consisted of three phases. Phase I: extract Android apps related to mHealth for diabetes self-management that boasted a rating of 4 stars or better. Phase II: the design and implementation phase. Phase III: evaluate usability and satisfaction via a User Experience Questionnaire.
In this app, an individual’s data were collated and viewed in the form of graphs and tables with users able to receive customized messages. The app comprised a clinician’s portal that was used by health care providers to monitor patients. Overall, the app demonstrated favorable user satisfaction.
“The results of this study showed that the usability of mobile- and cloud-based systems can be satisfactory and promising. Given that the study used a behavioral model, assessment of the effectiveness of behavior change over time requires further research with long-term follow-up,” the researchers concluded.
Keywords: behavior change, mHealth, mobile app, self-management, mobile health, type 2 diabetes
