Institute of Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics of RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
Center for Medical Decision Making, Business School, Ono Academic College, Kiryat Ono, Israel.
PLoS One. 2018 May 25;13(5):e0197455. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197455. eCollection 2018.
Self-measurement and documentation of blood-glucose are critical elements of diabetes management, particularly in regimes including insulin. In this study, we analyze the usability of iBG-STAR, the first blood glucose meter connectable to a smartphone. This technology records glucometer measurements, removing the burden of documentation from diabetic patients. This study assesses the potential for implementation of iBG-STAR in routine care. Twelve long-term diabetic patients (4 males; median age of 66.5 years) were enrolled in the study. N = 4/12 reported diabetic polyneuropathy. Reported subjective mental workload for all tasks related to iBG-STAR was on average lower than 12 points, corresponding to the verbal code 'nearly no effort needed'. A "Post Study System Usability Questionnaire", evaluated the glucometer at an average value of 2.06 (SD = 1.02) on a 7-Likert-scale (1 = 'I fully agree' to 7 = 'I completely disagree') for usability. These results represent a positive user-experience. Patients with polyneuropathy may experience physical difficulties in completing the tasks, thereby affecting usability. Technologically savvy patients (n = 6) with a positive outlook on diabetes assessed the product as a suitable tool for themselves and would recommend to other diabetic patients. The main barrier to regular use was treating physicians' inability to retrieve digitally recorded data. This barrier was due to a shortcoming in interoperability of mobile devices and medical information systems.
自我血糖监测和记录是糖尿病管理的关键要素，特别是在包括胰岛素治疗的方案中。本研究分析了 iBG-STAR 的可用性，这是第一款可与智能手机连接的血糖仪。该技术可记录血糖仪的测量结果，从而减轻糖尿病患者的记录负担。本研究评估了在常规护理中实施 iBG-STAR 的潜力。12 名长期糖尿病患者（4 名男性；中位年龄 66.5 岁）入组本研究。N = 4/12 报告有糖尿病多发性神经病变。与 iBG-STAR 相关的所有任务的报告主观心理工作量平均低于 12 分，对应于口头代码“几乎无需努力”。在使用 7 级李克特量表（1 表示“完全同意”，7 表示“完全不同意”）评估血糖仪时，“研究后系统可用性问卷”对血糖仪的平均评分为 2.06（SD = 1.02）。这些结果代表了积极的用户体验。患有多发性神经病的患者在完成任务时可能会遇到身体上的困难，从而影响可用性。技术熟练的患者（n = 6）对糖尿病持积极态度，他们认为该产品是他们自己的合适工具，并会推荐给其他糖尿病患者。定期使用的主要障碍是治疗医生无法检索数字记录的数据。这一障碍是由于移动设备和医疗信息系统之间的互操作性不足所致。
