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Patient-reported benefits and limitations of mobile health technologies for diabetes in pregnancy: A scoping review

  • Katelyn Sushko
    Correspondence
    Corresponding Author: Katelyn Sushko, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Nursing, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, Canada, L8S [email protected]
    Affiliations
    School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Health Sciences Centre, 2J20, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada
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  • Holly Tschirhart Menezes
    Affiliations
    School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Health Sciences Centre, 2J20, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada
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  • Qi Rui Wang
    Affiliations
    School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Health Sciences Centre, 2J20, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada
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  • Kara Nerenberg
    Affiliations
    Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada
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  • Donna Fitzpatrick-Lewis
    Affiliations
    Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton Health Sciences, McMaster University, 237 Barton Street East, Hamilton, Ontario, L8L 2X2, Canada
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  • Diana Sherifali
    Affiliations
    School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Health Sciences Centre, 2J20, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada

    Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton Health Sciences, McMaster University, 237 Barton Street East, Hamilton, Ontario, L8L 2X2, Canada

    Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada

    Diabetes Care and Research Program, The Boris Clinic, McMaster University Medical Centre, Hamilton Health Sciences, 1200 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Published:August 11, 2022DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcjd.2022.08.001
Patient-reported benefits and limitations of mobile health technologies for diabetes in pregnancy: A scoping review
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      Abstract

      Background

      For women with pre-existing and gestational diabetes, pregnancy involves specialized and intensive medical care to optimize maternal and infant outcomes. Medical management for patients with diabetes in pregnancy typically occurs via frequent face-to-face outpatient appointments. COVID-19-induced barriers to face-to-face care have identified the need for high-quality, patient-centred virtual healthcare modalities, such as mobile health (mHealth) technologies.

      Objective

      The study objective was to identify the patient-reported benefits and limitations of mHealth technologies among women with diabetes in pregnancy. We also aimed to determine how the women’s experiences aligned with the best practice standards for patient-centred communication.

      Methods

      The framework by Arksey and O’Malley for conducting scoping reviews with refinements by Levac et al. were used to guide this review. Relevant studies were identified through comprehensive database searches of MEDLINE, Embase, Emcare, and PsychINFO. Thomas and Harden's Methods for the Thematic Synthesis of Qualitative Research in Systematic Reviews guided the synthesis of patient-reported benefits and limitations of mHealth technology.

      Results

      Overall, 19 studies describing the use of 16 unique mobile health technologies among 742 women were included in the final review. Patient-reported benefits of mobile health included: convenience, support of psychosocial well-being and facilitation of diabetes self-management. Patient-reported limitations included: lack of important technological features, perceived burdensome aspects of mHealth and lack of trust in virtual healthcare.

      Conclusions

      Women with diabetes report some benefits from mHealth use during pregnancy. Co-designing future technologies with end-users may help address the perceived limitations and effectiveness of mHealth technologies.

      Keywords

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      Article Info

      Publication History

      Accepted: August 2, 2022
      Received in revised form: June 28, 2022
      Received: March 17, 2022

      Publication stage

      In Press Journal Pre-Proof

      Footnotes

      Key Messages:

      • Following the COVID-19 induced transition to virtual healthcare, innovative approaches to the medical management of diabetes in pregnancy are needed, such as mobile health (mHealth) technology that facilitates patient-provider communication.

      • Women with diabetes appear to benefit from some aspects of mHealth during pregnancy.

      • The co-design of future technologies with end-users may help address the patient-reported limitations of mHealth technologies.

      Author Disclosures: Conflicts of interest, none

      Funding: KS and HT are supported through graduate scholarships. DS acknowledges the Heather M. Arthur Population Health Research Institute/Hamilton Health Sciences Chair in Inter-Professional Health Research. KN acknowledges Heart and Stroke and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for the Women’s Heart and Brain Health Midcareer Research Chair.

      Identification

      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcjd.2022.08.001

      Copyright

      © 2022 Canadian Diabetes Association.

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