E‐health education interventions on HbA1c in patients with type 1 diabetes on intensive insulin therapy: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials

Abstract

Aims Patient‐centered education improves glycemic control in subjects with type 1 diabetes (T1D). E‐health technologies are widely used to support medical decision‐making, patient advising or teleconsultations; however, the active participation of a patient is missing. Challenges remain whether e‐health education can be effectively incorporated into clinical pathways. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of e‐health education, compared to standard care, on HbA_1c. Material and methods We conducted a literature search (EMBASE, MEDLINE, The Cochrane Library and Web of Science) up to February 2018 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of Internet−/ mobile application‐based educational interventions, with the active involvement of patients, provided in addition to, or substituting usual care in patients with T1D on intensive insulin therapy. The primary outcome was the standardized difference in means (SDM) of HbA_1c change from baseline between intervention and comparator groups. Results Eight RCTs involving 757 subjects were included on 6335 screened citations. After excluding two trials with a high risk of bias from the meta‐analysis, the HbA_1c change from baseline did not significantly differ between intervention and comparator groups (SDM = −0.154, 95% CI: −0.335 to 0.025; P = 0.01, random‐effect model). The number of studies is limited with a relatively short duration. Reporting of educational outcomes was not rigorous. Conclusions The effect of e‐health educational interventions on HbA_1c in patients with T1D is comparable to the standard care. This review highlights the need for further well‐designed RCTs that will investigate the opportunities of incorporating e‐health education into clinical pathways.