The ‘‘Active Ageing’’ app: preliminary usability evaluation of a mobile application for diabetes self-management

Background and Aims: Few mobile applications for diabetes care support incorporate educational functions and reminders for adherence to therapy, self-management and healthy lifestyle and fewer are tested for usability. We tested the mobile application ‘‘Active Ageing’’ in a pilot study in seniors (age >63 years) with type 2 diabetes (T2D) andwomen with gestational diabetes (GDM). Method: An application, structured according to cognitiveargumentative model of verbal communication, with empowering text messages was developed by the Catholic University in Milan. Patients were recruited at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan between 01/01/2017 and 31/08/2017, and invited to use the application to store and share data about glucose (SMBG) and weight and complete the System Usability Scale (SUS). Results: Nineteen out of 116 T2Dpatients (16.4%) (median age 69 (65-73) years) and 12 out of 12 GDMpatients (100%) (median age 37 (34-40) years) accepted to participate. After a median of 11 weeks of use (7-15), 7 T2D and 10 GDM patients completed the SUS (median score 77.5 (75-97.5) and 92.5 (87.5-95) respectively, p = 0.22). T2D patients performed 72% of SMBG measurements and 60% of weight measurements, GDM patients performed 53.5% of SMBG and 29% of weight measurements. Conclusion: The application is usable, although a minority of patients with T2D >63 years are willing to use the App. Younger GDM patients are more likely to use the app, but less compliant to SMBG or weight measurements. Tailoring an App and targeting it to the right patient population may improve the use of technology to empower patients.