Categorization of mHealth Coaching Technologies for Children or Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes: Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND

Managing type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents can be difficult for parents, health care professionals, and even patients. However, over the last decades, the quality of services provided to patients with diabetes has increased due to advances in IT.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to comprehensively document the range of IT tools used in the management of diabetes among children and adolescents, with a focus on identifying the technologies most commonly used based on their frequency. In addition, the study aims to explore relevant methodologies for developing diabetes technology and provide valuable information to developers by delineating essential phases of the design process.

METHODS

The literature search was focused on MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science, and Google Scholar for relevant studies. Keywords such as "type 1 diabetes," "adolescents," "kids," "mHealth," "children," and "coaching" were combined using Boolean operators. The inclusion criteria were open access, English-language papers published between 2012 and 2023 focusing on patients younger than 18 years and aligned with our research goal. The exclusion criteria included irrelevant topics and papers older than 18 years. By applying the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) method, 2080 studies were recognized, and after selection, 33 papers were agreed upon between the researchers.

RESULTS

Four primary categories were defined: types of IT, methodology identification, purpose identification, and feature determination. Among these, mobile health (mHealth) apps emerged as the predominant type of information, garnering 27 mentions. In particular, user-centered design was identified as the most prevalent methodology, cited 22 times. The primary purpose of self-monitoring blood glucose values was mentioned 20 times, while patient education was the highest among common characteristics, with 23 mentions.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on our research, we advocate for developers to focus on creating an mHealth app that integrates gamification techniques to develop innovative diabetes management solutions. This app should include vital functionalities such as blood glucose monitoring, strategies to improve hemoglobin A1c levels, carbohydrate tracking, and comprehensive educational materials for patients and caregivers. By prioritizing these features, developers can enhance the usability and effectiveness of the technology, thereby better supporting children or adolescents with diabetes in their daily management endeavors.