Smartphone-Based mHealth and Internet of Things for Diabetes Control and Self-Management

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Digital Health
• Diabetes Management

Background:

• Mobile health (mHealth) monitoring is crucial for chronic disease self-management.
• Smartphones offer potential for diabetes patients to enhance personal health management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine smartphone utilization among type 2 diabetes patients.
• To assess their intentions for using smartphones in self-care, monitoring, and management.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional survey conducted in July-August 2021 in Gujarat, India.
• 200 type 2 diabetes patients completed a validated questionnaire.
• Data collected on demographics, mobile phone/internet use, and app intentions.

Main Results:

• High mobile phone (97.5%) and smartphone (87%) ownership with daily internet access (83.5%).
• Younger participants showed higher inclination towards smartphone app use (p < 0.01).
• Majority used apps for nutrition (85.5%), glucose monitoring (76.5%), and appointment scheduling (90.5%).

Conclusions:

• Type 2 diabetes patients actively use smartphones for medication reminders, diet planning, glucose monitoring, and doctor communication.
• Findings support developing mHealth strategies for improved diabetes self-management and reduced healthcare costs.