Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Diabetes treatment requires the involvement of people with diabetes in the form of medication adherence. Insulin treatment is an important aspect of diabetes therapy. Regular and timely insulin therapy is necessary for good glycaemic control and complications prevention. Newer follow-up techniques, such as WhatsApp based communication are now finding their way into diabetes care and treatment. It can assist diabetes patients to maintain a regular treatment schedule and drug adherence.

Materials and Methods

A total of 342 Diabetic patients aged 15–65 years were selected by random sampling. Inclusion Criteria : 1. Known case of Diabetes mellitus 2. Consent to take part in study. 3. Ability to use WhatsApp messaging Exclusion criteria: 1. Inability to use WhatsApp 2. Not consenting to be a part of the study. They were randomly allocated to two groups of 171 people each. In the first group, the participants were added to a WhatsApp group and were asked to regularly answer a question about whether they have taken insulin or not on that particular day to the clinic over WhatsApp. The other group was treated as usual. The participants were monitored for HBA1C and insulin adherence at 3 and 6 months. The results were analysed using SPSS.

Result: After excluding 4 droupouts the analysis of data shown : HBA1C reduction in the WhatsApp group was 1.8 % as compared to 0.8 % in the routine care group. At the end of 3 months and was 2.3 % in the WhatsApp group and 1.3 % at the end of 6 months. The number of patients achieving the target goal of 7% HBA1C was better in the WhatsApp group (54%) as compared to the routine group (38%) at the end of 3 months and in the WhatsApp group (72%) as compared to the routine group (53%) at the end of 6 months. 82 % of patients in the WhatsApp group were insulin compliant compared to 63 % in the routine group.

Discussion: The strategies and means of communicating with patients have improved with the emergence of modern modes of communication. This has paved the door for the development of innovative messaging systems such as WhatsApp that enable more patient-centric communication. When utilized properly, these tools can help reduce in-person follow-ups while increasing the connection between caregiver and patient. Additionally, this can result in improved patient outcomes, as well as fewer complications and financial repercussions.