Impact of Mobile Phone Diabetes Application on Diabetes Patients: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Usual care visits to health care provider for 12 months duration of study. Plus the use of a mobile phone application (named ‘’My care Hub’’). The application is a software to be installed on participants mobile phones. It has both an android and i-phone versions with comprehensive functionalities which includes; 1. Capacity for users to log and track their blood glucose readings, food intake and physical activity habits over time. 2. Analytical functions which aid presentation of recorded data in a graphical form. This will help participants to set their health care targets and monitor trends in their self-care activities. 3. In response to the logged blood glucose reading, participants will receive automated personalized self-care educational messages. Additionally, participants will also receive through the application, general educational, behavioural and motivational messages twice weekly for 12 months. All messages will deliver information on the seven essential self-care behaviours in people with diabetes which predict good outcomes namely; lifestyle modifications (healthy eating and improved physical activity), monitoring of blood sugar, compliance with medications, good problem-solving skills, healthy coping skills, and risk-reduction behaviours (such as smoking caseation and reduction in alcohol intake). Compilation of both the personalized and general messages is by a Diabetes Educator and an Endocrinologist with over 7 years experience in the management of people with diabetes. To access how best the application works for participants, they will be asked to input those self-care measurements at least twice a week; once on a weekend and once during the weekdays. The measurements inputted into the application will be automatically sent to the principal investigator through a secured web interface and stored onto a pass-worded protected computer system in an aggregated de-identified format. This will be used to monitor adherence to the use of the intervention. Orientation and support for the use of the application will involve the following: 1. At the start of the trial, face to face training will be provided by the principal investigator to the participants. 2.. The principal investigator will contact the participants at least twice within the first month to inquire about any problem with the use of the application. We believe this period will be sufficient for them to get acquainted with the application. 3. At the start of the study, participants will be provided with the phone number and email address of the principal investigator whom they can contact for issues pertaining to the use of the application. This technical support will be available to participants throughout the study period.