Abstract
BACKGROUND: Diabetes is a chronic condition that requires constant self-management. As a consequence, several software platforms have been developed to facilitate the tracking of diabetes data to improve diabetes management. Our aim was to determine the real-world glycemic benefits of a mobile diabetes management platform used by individuals with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Mobile platform-using (n = 899) and control (n = 900) participants meeting specific minimum data criteria were randomly selected from a database of diabetes users. All results were modeled using different mixed effect generalized linear models, assigning random intercepts for each user, and adjusting the distribution assumption for each outcome. RESULTS: Users of the mobile platform increased their frequency of blood glucose monitoring (+8.8 tests per month, 95% CI [3.4, 14.1], P < .001) and had fewer hyperglycemic events and lower average glucose levels compared to the control group. In addition, a mobile user could expect a 3.5% drop in average BG (-6.4 mg/dL, 95% CI [-2.0, -10.7], P < .001) and a 10.7% decrease in hyperglycemia ( P < .001) after 2 months. CONCLUSION: Users of the mobile platform tested their BG more often and demonstrated greater improvement in blood glucose compared to users who did not use the mobile platform. This supports previous studies indicating that digital technologies can enhance diabetes care in a real-world setting.