[Effect of ICT Use on Glycemic Control in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review]

Abstract

Information and communication technologies constitute a resource that can improve the effectiveness of programs focused on people with chronic diseases, especially those with type 2 diabetes mellitus, strengthening the care management provided by the nursing professional.

Aim: To evaluate the available evidence to understand the effects of information and communication technologies on glycaemic control in people with type 2 diabetes.

Material and methods: Databases used for research were Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus between January and March of 2023. Natural language was used, joined by OR or AND operators. The clinical trials met the following selection criteria: Trials in adults 18 years old or above with type 2 diabetes who went through interventions with information and communication technologies and for whom glycosylated hemoglobin A was a primary outcome. Each author reviewed these trials independently.

Results: Out of 1201 clinical trials that went through interventions with information and communication technologies and that glycosylated hemoglobin A was a primary result of it, only 12 were randomly chosen to be included in the present review article; in the majority of them, the mobile cell phone was used as the main tool.

Conclusions: The use of information and communication technologies proved to have favorable effects on the participants' glycemic control by showing a decrease in the glycosylated hemoglobin A. Text messages and web platforms stood out as the more efficient resource for glycemia monitoring.