Patients’ Views on the Design of DiabeText, a New mHealth Intervention to Improve Adherence to Oral Antidiabetes Medication in Spain: A Qualitative Study

Rocío Zamanillo-Campos, Maria Jesús Serrano-Ripoll, Joana Maria Taltavull-Aparicio, Elena Gervilla-García, Joana Ripoll, Maria Antonia Fiol-deRoque, Anne-Marie Boylan and Ignacio Ricci-Cabello
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Rocío Zamanillo-Campos: Research Group in Primary Care and Promotion—Balearic Islands Community (GRAPP-caIB), Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), 07120 Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Maria Jesús Serrano-Ripoll: Research Group in Primary Care and Promotion—Balearic Islands Community (GRAPP-caIB), Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), 07120 Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Joana Maria Taltavull-Aparicio: Research Group in Primary Care and Promotion—Balearic Islands Community (GRAPP-caIB), Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), 07120 Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Elena Gervilla-García: Psychology Department, University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), 07120 Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Joana Ripoll: Research Group in Primary Care and Promotion—Balearic Islands Community (GRAPP-caIB), Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), 07120 Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Maria Antonia Fiol-deRoque: Research Group in Primary Care and Promotion—Balearic Islands Community (GRAPP-caIB), Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), 07120 Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Anne-Marie Boylan: Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
Ignacio Ricci-Cabello: Research Group in Primary Care and Promotion—Balearic Islands Community (GRAPP-caIB), Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), 07120 Palma de Mallorca, Spain

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 3, 1-14

Abstract: Background: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a long-term condition affecting around 10% of people worldwide. This study aimed to explore T2DM patients’ views on DiabeText, a new text messaging intervention to be developed to support adherence to diabetes medication. Methods: A total of four focus groups were conducted with a purposive sample of people with T2DM (n = 34). The data were analysed by multiple researchers independently, and coded using thematic analysis. Results: There were two main themes that emerged: (1) “patients’ perspectives on unmet needs for diabetes self-management”, and (2) “acceptability and perceived utility of DiabeText”. The patients identified a number of barriers for diabetes self-management, including lack of appropriate information and support with diet and physical activity. Support for medication-taking was not perceived as urgently needed, although several barriers were identified (eating outside, traveling, polymedication, dispensation at the pharmacy). The participants anticipated that the proposed intervention would present high levels of patient acceptability and perceived utility as long as its content addresses the barriers that were identified, and includes specific features (short and clear messages, and personalized information). Conclusion: The proposed intervention has the potential to be well accepted and perceived as useful by T2DM patients who require support not only in terms of medication-taking, but more prominently of lifestyle behaviour.

Keywords: type 2 diabetes; SMS; self-care; mobile health; eHealth; qualitative research (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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