Effects of a mobile health diabetes self-management program on HbA1C, self-management and patient satisfaction in adults with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled trial

Purpose This study aimed to examine the effects of a three-month mobile health diabetes self-management program (MHDSMP) on glycemic control, diabetes self-management (DSM) behaviors and patient satisfaction in adults with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in Thailand. Design/methodology/approach This was a three-arm, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial among 129 adults with uncontrolled T2DM who attended the medical outpatient department in a medical center. The participants were randomly assigned to the three study groups ( n = 43 per group), including MHDSMP, telephone follow-up (TF) and usual care (UC). MHDSMP encompassed four components, including DSM engagement, DSM mobile application, motivational text messages and telephone coaching. Outcomes were evaluated at three-month end-of-study by using HbA1C and response to the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities (SDSCA) and the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8). Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). Findings The findings revealed that at the end-of-study, HbA1C decreased from 7.80 to 7.17% ( p < 0.001) in MHDSMP group, from 7.72 to 7.65% ( p = 0.468) in TF group, and from 7.89 to 7.72% ( p = 0.074) in UC group. Significantly higher SDSCA and CSQ-8 scores were also observed in MHDSMP compared to TF and UC groups ( F = 12.283, F = 19.541, F = 8.552, p < 0.001, respectively). Originality/value This study demonstrated that MHDSMP adjunct with usual care is beneficial for patient outcomes in adults with uncontrolled T2DM in Thailand, compared to TF and UC groups.