Criteria for Assessing and Recommending Digital Diabetes Tools: A Delphi Study

Area of Science:

• Digital health
• Diabetes self-management
• Healthcare technology assessment

Background:

• Digital self-management tools offer potential to improve diabetes care.
• Assessing and recommending these tools requires defined criteria.
• Targeting individuals with diabetes in Norway necessitates context-specific guidelines.

Purpose of the Study:

• To achieve consensus on criteria for assessing and recommending digital diabetes self-management tools.
• To guide healthcare professionals in Norway in selecting appropriate digital health solutions.
• To establish a framework for evaluating the quality of digital diabetes management resources.

Main Methods:

• A three-round Delphi study involving healthcare professionals from all Norwegian health regions.
• Panellists rated identified criteria using a 0-10 scale (0: not important, 10: extremely important).
• Criteria were derived from a systematic review and expert interviews.

Main Results:

• "Usability" and "Information quality" were rated as the most important criteria for assessing and recommending digital diabetes self-management tools.
• "Security and privacy" received lower ratings specifically for app assessment.
• Consensus was reached on a set of criteria crucial for digital tool evaluation.

Conclusions:

• A defined list of criteria aids stakeholders in making informed decisions about digital diabetes self-management tools.
• Future research should prioritize security and privacy compliance in digital health tools.
• Focusing on usability and information quality, alongside robust security, will enhance digital diabetes care.