Diabetes Mellitus
Conditions
Keywords
SMS, text messaging, diabetes self management, glycemic control, mHealth, mobile health, diabetes education
Brief summary
This study was conducted at the teaching hospital of Misr University for Science & Technology. It aimed to examine the use of SMS technology in educating and monitoring diabetic patients in Egypt, and assess the impact of educational text messages on their glycemic control and self-management behaviors. Participants were randomized into an intervention and a control group. Intervention patients received an instruction booklet as well as daily educational and weekly reminder messages to better control their diabetes. Control patients received the same instruction booklet but no SMS messages. Both group patients took an HbA1c test at the beginning and end of the study period and were asked to measure their blood glucose once a week and record their readings into a monitoring table over 12 weeks. The primary outcome was the change in HbA1c levels, which was expected to be greater among intervention patients at the end of the study. Secondary outcomes included blood glucose levels, treatment and medication adherence, diabetes self-efficacy, rate of hospital/ER visits, frequency of blood glucose measurement, among others.
Interventions
OTHERSMS messages
Daily educational messages addressing the following categories: diet, exercise, complications, medications, foot care, blood sugar testing, and hypo- and hyperglycemia. Weekly reminder messages of blood glucose testing.
OTHERInstruction booklet
General detailed instructions addressing the same SMS categories.
Sponsors
Misr University for Science and Technology
Hannover Medical School
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* has diabetes * owns a mobile phone * can read SMS messages or lives with someone that can read for them.
Exclusion criteria
* cannot read or not SMS familiar and lives alone
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| change in HbA1c | baseline and 12 weeks | measured by the difference between endpoint and baseline values and by the number of patients who experienced a reduction of at least 1% from baseline to endpoint |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| body weight | 12 weeks | — |
| Treatment adherence | 12 weeks | measured by the diabetes self-care inventory (SCI) |
| Medication adherence | 12 weeks | measured by the Morisky medication adherence scale (MMAS-4) |
| blood glucose levels | 12 weeks | — |
| Frequency of blood glucose measurement | 12 weeks | — |
| Rate of hospital/ER admissions | 12 weeks | — |
| Diabetes self-efficacy | 12 weeks | measured by the diabetes empowerment scale short form (DES-SF) |
Countries
Egypt
Outcome results
None listed