Health information technologies in diabetes management

About more than 500 million adults worldwide now have diabetes mellitus, 90% of whom have type-2 diabetes (T2D). Successful glycemic control key to prevent and reduce complications of T2D and reduce death related to the disease. However, maintaining optimal glycemic control through ongoing monitoring and treatment can be costly and challenging. The development of innovative self-care strategies to improve diabetes management is necessary. Advances in health information technologies (HITs) aim to increase the support of effective and affordable health-care delivery and patient education. There is evidence that HIT approaches using mobile, computer, e-mail, and internet enhance chronic disease management. This research provides an overview of the HITs in use for T2D management. We synthesize the latest findings on HITs’ effect in reducing HbA1c and managing complications from cardiovascular diseases. We discuss the current research limitations and implications for future research. Finally, we present barriers to applications of HITs in T2D management and suggested steps to move forward

Author(s): Eduardo J Simoes

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