JMIR Diabetes

Digital health has been advancing owing to technological progress by means of smart devices and artificial intelligence, among other developments. In the field of diabetes especially, there are many active use cases of digital technology supporting the treatment of diabetes and improving lifestyle. In the innovation ecosystem, new alliance networks are formed not only by medical device companies and pharmaceutical companies, but also by information and communications technology companies and start-ups. While understanding and utilizing the network structure is important to increase the competitive advantage of companies, there is a lack of previous research describing the structure of alliance networks and the factors that lead to their formation in digital health.

In-person support groups have been shown to benefit adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) by helping to decrease perceived diabetes burden and improving knowledge related to chronic disease management. However, barriers exist to participation in traditional support groups, including the timing and location of meetings and resources needed to attend. Adolescents are increasingly utilizing online support groups, which may provide solutions to some of the challenges faced when implementing in-person support groups.

Diabetes-related costs are the highest across all chronic conditions in the United States, with type 2 diabetes accounting for up to 95% of all cases of diabetes. A healthy diet is strongly associated with lowering glycated hemoglobin A_1c (HbA_1c) levels among individuals with diabetes, which can help curtail other health complications. Digital health platforms can offer critical support for improving diet and glycemic control among individuals with diabetes. Less is known about the characteristics of people with diabetes who use digital health platforms (specifically, a platform that integrates personalized healthy meal plans and food ordering) and changes in their HbA_1c levels.

Social media platforms, such as Twitter, are increasingly popular among communities of people with chronic conditions, including those with type 1 diabetes (T1D). There is some evidence that social media confers emotional and health-related benefits to people with T1D, including emotional support and practical information regarding health maintenance. Research on social media has primarily relied on self-reports of web-based behavior and qualitative assessment of web-based content, which can be expensive and time-consuming. Meanwhile, recent advances in natural language processing have allowed for large-scale assessment of social media behavior.

Empowering young people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) to manage their blood glucose levels during exercise is a complex challenge faced by health care professionals due to the unpredictable nature of exercise and its effect on blood glucose levels. Mobile health (mHealth) apps would be useful as a decision-support aid to effectively contextualize a blood glucose result and take appropriate action to optimize glucose levels during and after exercise. A novel mHealth app acT1ve was recently developed, based on expert consensus exercise guidelines, to provide real-time support for young people with T1D during exercise.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus has serious health consequences, including blindness, amputation, and stroke. Researchers and clinicians are increasingly in agreement that type 2 diabetes may be effectively treated with a carbohydrate-reduced diet. Digital apps are increasingly used as an adjunct to traditional health care provisions to support remote self-management of long-term health conditions.

Clinical trials have shown that type 2 diabetes (T2D) is preventable through lifestyle interventions targeting high-risk people. Nevertheless, large-scale implementation of risk identification followed by preventive interventions has proven to be challenging. Specifically, recruitment of participants into preventive interventions is an important but often overlooked part of the intervention.

Clinical trials have shown that type 2 diabetes (T2D) is preventable through lifestyle interventions targeting high-risk people. Nevertheless, large-scale implementation of risk identification followed by preventive interventions has proven to be challenging. Specifically, recruitment of participants into preventive interventions is an important but often overlooked part of the intervention.

Mobile health (mHealth) smartphone apps have shown promise in the self-management of chronic disease. In today’s oversaturated health app market, selection criteria that consumers are employing to choose mHealth apps for disease self-management are of paramount importance. App quality is critical in monitoring disease controls but is often linked to consumer popularity rather than clinical recommendations of effectiveness in disease management. Management of key disease variances can be performed through these apps to increase patient engagement in disease self-management. This paper provides a comprehensive review of features found in mHealth apps frequently used in the self- management of diabetes.

In 2019, 1 of 6 births was affected by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) globally. GDM results in adverse maternal, fetal, and neonatal outcomes in the short and long term, such as pregnancy and birth complications, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. In the context of “transgenerational programming,” diabetes mellitus during pregnancy can contribute to “programming” errors and long-term consequences for the child. Therefore, early therapy strategies are required to improve the clinical management of GDM. The interest in digital therapy approaches, such as telemetry, has increased because they are promising, innovative, and sustainable.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) can be managed through diet and lifestyle changes. The American Diabetes Association acknowledges that knowing what and when to eat is the most challenging aspect of diabetes management. Although current recommendations for self-monitoring of diet and glucose levels aim to improve glycemic stability among people with T2D, tracking all intake is burdensome and unsustainable. Thus, dietary self-monitoring approaches that are equally effective but are less burdensome should be explored.

Prevention through Intervention is a community paramedicine program developed by Birmingham Fire and Rescue Services in Alabama. This program aims to reduce dependency on emergency medical services (EMS) for nonemergency-related events through education and to lower the frequency of emergency calls in underserved populations. A telehealth intervention with an emphasis on hypoglycemia was implemented to (1) tailor the intervention to meet the educational needs of participants and (2) facilitate follow-ups. A pre-post pilot feasibility evaluation of the telehealth intervention was conducted.