Effect of Using Smart Phone Application on Self-Care Activities among Patients with Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Background Diabetes is the most popular chronic clinical condition targeted by mHealth (mobile health). A progressively increasing number of medical applications have recently emerged to cover the needs of patients with diabetes. Aim To evaluate the effect of using smartphone application on self-care activities among patients with diabetes mellitus Design Quasi-experimental pre-posttest nonequivalent control group design Sample A convenient sample of 60 adult male and female patients with a confirmed diagnosis of diabetes were enrolled in the current study. Tools Two tools were utilized to collect data: (a) Demographic and Medical Data Form, (b) Diabetes Self-Care Activities Scale. Results The age of study sample ranged between 19 to 60 years, with mean age of 36.2±12.2 years. There was a significant improvement in self-care activities among the study group using mobile phone application. Conclusion Self-care activities among diabetic patients in the study group improved after using mobile phone application. Recommendations Nurses should establish a management plan for diabetic patients including educational sessions to raise awareness about importance of using smart phone application.