Mobile Phone Text Messaging in Improving Glycaemic Control for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Mobile Phone Text Messaging in Improving Glycaemic Control for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2019 Feb 26;:

Authors: Haider R, Sudini L, Chow CK, Wah Cheung N

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Mobile health is the use of mobile technology in developing healthcare, with the aim of reminding and motivating patients to adopt a healthy lifestyle. We conducted a systematic review assessing the effectiveness of text-messaging interventions on HbA1c in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
METHODS: Two authors independently searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Register of Randomized Control Trials and PsychInfo. The review included randomized control trials with at least 4 weeks follow up, evaluating the effect of text messaging on HbA1c, in patients with T2DM. Trials involving participants with Type 1 diabetes mellitus, pre-diabetes or gestational diabetes, or other forms of telemedicine were excluded. Studies employing bi-directional messaging were excluded.
RESULTS: 208 papers were identified as meeting inclusion criteria and their abstracts reviewed. Of these, we examined the full text article of forty-four studies. Eleven randomized controlled trials were included in the final review, with a total of 1710 participants. One study focused on medication adherence only, while the remaining had educational and motivational messages. Five studies showed a significant improvement in HbA1c with the intervention. The remaining studies demonstrated a trend to improvement in HbA1c. Our meta-analysis on 9 of the 11 studies found an overall reduction in HbA1c of 0.38% (-0.53;-0.23, p-value <0.001).
CONCLUSION: Lifestyle-focused text messaging is a low cost initiative aimed at motivating patients with T2DM to adhere to a healthy lifestyle. We demonstrate that lifestyle focused text messaging is effective, with a significant improvement in HbA1c in the meta-analysis.

PMID: 30822496 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]