ABSTRACT
Background: There have been a significant number of initiatives which aimed at using mobile health [mHealth] to improve diabetes care through improving patient provider communication, providing patients with information and lifestyle tips, and appointment reminders
Objectives: To assess the clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction pertinent to a pilot [mHealth] service established for type II Diabetes mellitus patients in an educational tertiary level hospital in order to provide leadership with a recommendation whether or not to institutionalize the service
Methods: Diabetes mellitus type II patients who received a pilot [mHealth]service in an educational tertiary level hospital were followed up for 12 months. Patient records were reviewed for reductions in HbA1C levels, hospitalizations, ER visits, unplanned consultant visits during the follow up period and treatment compliance. Finally patient satisfaction was anonymously measured at the end of the period
Results: Patient satisfaction with the service was relatively high [87.7%]. Satisfaction with phone calls was significantly higher than satisfaction with SMS. The mean reduction in HbA1c levels of all patients was 1.67 +/- 0.54, [p<0.001]. The number of received SMS during the service significantly correlated with the reduction in the HbA1c level [Pearson R= 0.184, p<0.05]. Patient compliance with treatment was significantly correlated with the number of phone calls received [Pearson R = .379 and P<0.001]. The rates of hospitalization, visits to ER and unplanned consultant visits were generally low among the studied patients [4.5%, 7.1% and 16.9% respectively]
Conclusion and Recommendations: The pilot mHealth service implemented in the hospital was significantly correlated to the patient compliance with treatment, and improvement in glycemic control with a remarkably high patient satisfaction. It is recommended to institutionalize the intervention, as a standard component of Diabetes mellitus care, and to conduct further patient satisfaction surveys, benchmarking and evaluation studies to assess the effectiveness of the service