Effectiveness of Internet and Phone-Based Interventions on Diabetes Management of Children and Adolescents With Type...

To synthesize evidence about the impact of Internet and phone-based diabetes education and management on metabolic control, self-management behavior changes, and psychological effects among children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).

Internet and mobile technologies were commonly used to improve diabetes management among children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus. The effectiveness of new technology-based diabetes education and management has previously not been synthesized.

PubMed, EBSCO, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Joanna Briggs Institute Library, and the Chinese databases CNKI and Wanfang were searched from 1989 to March 2020. Two reviewers independently selected randomized controlled trials (RCTs), in English and Chinese, which compared an intervention group of new technology-based diabetes education and management with a control group of usual care. The primary outcomes were metabolic control, such as glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and secondary outcomes consisted of behavior changes and psychological effects, such as self-efficacy and quality of life.

A total of 23 RCTs with 1,824 participants met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis showed that phone calls could significantly reduce HbA1c (MD = -.17; 95% CI [-.33, -.01]; I²  = 0%) in children and adolescents with T1DM. New technology-based diabetes education and management could significantly improve self-efficacy (SMD = 0.37; 95% CI [.07, .67]; I²  = 0%). No benefits on behavior changes and quality of life were identified.

New technology-based diabetes education has potential benefits for children and adolescents with T1DM, such as improving metabolic control through phone calls and increasing their self-efficacy of diabetes management. Well-designed RCTs with larger sample sizes and longer intervention duration should be conducted, especially in developing countries.