How texting can help diabetics manage insulin doses

A new study has revealed that texting can help diabetics with low-income to manage their insulin doses.

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

In 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 nurses reviewed the information online, each day, 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 percent of participants were able to get their blood sugar levels within an acceptable range in the control group and among the participants, who received daily text messages and weekly phone calls, 88 percent were able to manage to get their blood sugar levels within an acceptable range.

According to the researchers, the remote titration group saved about two hours of time and USD 15 in copayments 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 that patients, who used mobile titration, said they felt more in control of their diabetes and more accountable for adhering to medical advice.