Developing and Evaluating a Mobile Foot Care Application for Persons With Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized Pilot...

Area of Science:

• Diabetology
• Digital Health
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Diabetic foot ulceration is a serious complication requiring optimal self-care.
• Mobile applications show potential for influencing health-related behavioral changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop the Mobile Diabetic Foot Personal Care System (m-DAKBAS).
• To evaluate the effectiveness of the m-DAKBAS app in improving self-care for patients with diabetes.

Main Methods:

• A 2-group, pre-test/post-test study design was used over 6 months.
• Phase 1 involved app development and pilot testing; Phase 2 evaluated the app's impact on knowledge, behavior, and self-efficacy.
• 106 patients enrolled, with 88 completing the study (44 in the experimental app group, 44 in the control group).

Main Results:

• Both groups showed increased knowledge, behavior, and self-efficacy scores, with greater improvements in the experimental group (P < .05).
• The experimental group demonstrated significantly higher post-test knowledge scores compared to the control group (P < .05).
• Participants using the app showed a significant reduction in cracked/dry skin and inappropriate footwear compared to baseline.

Conclusions:

• Mobile app-based education and follow-up, alongside verbal instruction, enhance patient knowledge, behavior, and self-efficacy in diabetes foot care.
• The m-DAKBAS app demonstrated superior effectiveness in improving knowledge compared to standard education alone.
• Further development and testing of mobile applications are recommended to improve self-efficacy and mitigate diabetic foot risks.