Barriers to the Effective Use of Diabetes Self-Management Applications

Abstract

Diabetes is a serious disease in which the levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood are too high. In people with diabetes the body is unable to properly use and store glucose. However, if patients could manage their health conditions effectively, they can prevent or delay diabetes complications. By introducing diabetes self-management (DSM) applications, patients with diabetes can gain the knowledge and skills needed to modify their behavior and successfully manage the disease and its related conditions. DSM applications can enable patients to take better care of their health and consolidate effective self-care habits into their daily lives. However, despite of the immense potential of such tools in empowering patients, many challenges remain in the design and use of DSM applications. In this study, we investigate the barriers that hinder effective usage of DSM applications for diabetes self-management. Results indicate that the primary barriers resulted from the limited access to the applications, a challenge to comprehend the technology and the inability to pick the right application that is clinically proven. The barriers to selfmanagement identified in this study are amenable to novel DSM applications that could improve health outcomes.