Texting can Help Diabetics to Manage Their Insulin Doses in a Better Way

New York City's Bellevue Hospital's Diabetes Program researchers have designed a 'Mobile Insulin Titration Intervention', with the aim of helping patients remotely manage their insulin doses.

For the study, which involved a group of insulin-dependent diabetic patients, 33 participants received a daily reminder to take a blood sugar reading and report the value back in a text message. The hospital nurses reviewed the information online, everyday, to determine whether the insulin dosage had to be altered. On the other hand, a control group of 27 patients received normal care and titrated their insulin during in-person visits.

Only 37% of the study participants were able to get their blood sugar levels (BSL) within an acceptable range in the control group and among the participants, who received daily text messages and weekly phone calls, 88% were able to manage to get their BSL within an acceptable range.

The researchers said, "The remote titration group saved about two hours of time and USD 15 in co-payments that many of the other participants paid for in-person visits and suggested that the program was not difficult to follow."

Lead author Natalie Levy said, "Patients, who used mobile titration, said they felt more in control of their diabetes and more accountable for adhering to medical advice."

Source: ANI