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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2013 Aug 23;15(8):e175.
doi: 10.2196/jmir.2425.

Use of a web 2.0 portal to improve education and communication in young patients with families: randomized controlled trial

Lena Hanberger  1 , Johnny Ludvigsson, Sam Nordfeldt
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Use of a web 2.0 portal to improve education and communication in young patients with families: randomized controlled trial

Lena Hanberger et al. J Med Internet Res. .

Abstract

Background: Diabetes requires extensive self-care and comprehensive knowledge, making patient education central to diabetes self-management. Web 2.0 systems have great potential to enhance health information and open new ways for patients and practitioners to communicate.

Objective: To develop a Web portal designed to facilitate self-management, including diabetes-related information and social networking functions, and to study its use and effects in pediatric patients with diabetes.

Methods: A Web 2.0 portal was developed in collaboration with patients, parents, and practitioners. It offered communication with local practitioners, interaction with peers, and access to relevant information and services. Children and adolescents with diabetes in a geographic population of two pediatric clinics in Sweden were randomized to a group receiving passwords for access to the portal or a control group with no access (n=230) for 1 year. All subjects had access during a second study year. Users' activity was logged by site and page visits. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL), empowerment (DES), and quality of information (QPP) questionnaires were given at baseline and after 1 and 2 study years. Clinical data came from the Swedish pediatric diabetes quality registry SWEDIABKIDS.

Results: There was a continuous flow of site visits, decreasing in summer and Christmas periods. In 119/233 families (51%), someone visited the portal the first study year and 169/484 (35%) the second study year. The outcome variables did not differ between intervention and control group. No adverse treatment or self-care effects were identified. A higher proportion of mothers compared to fathers visited once or more the first year (P<.001) and the second year (P<.001). The patients who had someone in the family visiting the portal 5 times or more, had shorter diabetes duration (P=.006), were younger (P=.008), had lower HbA1c after 1 year of access (P=.010), and were more often girls (P<.001). Peer interaction seems to be a valued aspect.

Conclusions: The Web 2.0 portal may be useful as a complement to traditional care for this target group. Widespread use of a portal would need integration in routine care and promotion by diabetes team members.

Trial registration: International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN):92107365; http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN92107365/ (Archived by WebCite at http://webcitation.org/6IkiIvtSb).

Keywords: HbA1c; adolescent; children; health information technology; intervention studies; patient education; type 1 diabetes.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Screenshot from the Diabit portal. Home ”Welcome to Diabit”.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Screenshot from the Diabit portal. “I made a mistake with the insulin”, and how to manage.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Screenshot from the Diabit portal. Discussion board.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Flow chart of the intervention and the control group.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Site visits per month by patients and parents (study year 2 started 2007).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Proportions of adolescents, mothers, fathers, or at least one of these in the same family, logged in once or more.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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