Salud Diabetes

Diabetes News for the Spanish Speaking Community

Understanding Digital Health Technology Use Among adults with Type 2 Diabetes

Published · Updated

Original Article: https://academic.oup.com/tbm/article/14/8/491/7702719?login=false

Overview of Digital Health Technologies (DHTs)

Digital Health Technologies (DHTs) such as mobile health apps, continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), and telehealth services offer significant potential to help with self-management of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Despite the increasing availability and advancements in these tools, their adoption and sustained use for people with T2D remains relatively low. For instance, it appears that only about 30-40% of T2D patients use DHTs regularly. This low engagement may result from changes in an individuals’ motivation over time, causing a disconnect between what is offered by DHTs and the changing needs of the users over time.

Factors Influencing DHT Adoption and Use

Several factors influence whether individuals with T2D will adopt and consistently use DHTs:

  • Demographics: Younger individuals and females are more likely to adopt DHTs. For example, with adoption rates are 50% higher in younger populations (under 50) compared to those over 65. Additionally, people with higher income and education levels show greater adoption, with a 25% higher likelihood among individuals with college degrees.
  • Digital Literacy: High digital literacy (i.e., being able to use a device and benefit from it) significantly boosts DHT adoption. 
  • Psychological Factors: Health activation (the extent to which someone feels confident and engaged in managing their health) and self-efficacy (the belief in one’s ability to succeed) are crucial. Patients with high health activation are twice as likely to use DHTs effectively compared to those with low activation.

Study Findings on Subgroups of DHT Users and Non-Users

The study also found that people can vary in their approach to using a DHT:

  • Non-Adopters: People who do not use a DHT can be divided into two subcategories:
    1. Barriered Non-Adopters: These individuals face obstacles such as low digital literacy or lack of access. They represent about 40% of the non-adopter population.
    2. Self-Managing Non-Adopters: These are activated individuals who choose not to use DHTs, believing they can manage their condition without them, making up roughly 60% of non-adopters.
  • Among people ready and willing to use a DHT (Adopters) there are three subgroups:
    1. Non-Activated Adopters: These individuals use DHTs but lack strong engagement, putting them at risk of discontinuation. They constitute about 35% of adopters.
    2. Activated Adopters: These are engaged users but are also at risk of dropout due to various personal challenges (about 30% of adopters).
    3. Self-Managing Adopters: These individuals are highly motivated, making up 35% of the adopter group.

Conclusion

Understanding these subgroups and the factors influencing DHT use can help in developing tailored strategies to improve adoption and sustained engagement, ultimately enhancing health outcomes for individuals with Type 2 diabetes.