Mobile Phone-Based System Tied to Lower Glycated Hemoglobin --Doctors Lounge

Mobile Phone-Based System Tied to Lower Glycated Hemoglobin --Doctors Lounge: "Charlene C. Quinn, R.N., Ph.D., from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, and colleagues investigated whether using mobile application coaching and patient/provider Web portals in addition to community primary care compared with standard diabetes management would reduce glycated hemoglobin levels in 163 patients with type 2 diabetes. The patients were divided into four stepped groups, with three receiving the mobile and Web-based self-management patient coaching system and provider decision support, and one group acting as a control. Patients received automated messages in response to individually analyzed blood glucose levels, diabetes medications, and behaviors. The providers received quarterly reports on the patients' glycemic control, medication management, behaviors, and treatment options. The primary outcome measure was the change in glycated hemoglobin levels over a treatment period of one year. Secondary outcomes included changes in patient-reported symptoms, diabetes distress, depression, and blood pressure, and lipid levels."