%0 Journal Article
%@ 2291-5222
%I JMIR Publications
%V 6
%N 9
%P e11400
%T Exploration of Users’ Perspectives and Needs and Design of a Type 1 Diabetes Management Mobile App: Mixed-Methods Study
%A Zhang,Yiyu
%A Li,Xia
%A Luo,Shuoming
%A Liu,Chaoyuan
%A Liu,Fang
%A Zhou,Zhiguang
%+ Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No 139, Renmin Road, Changsha, 410011, China, 86 073185292154, zhouzhiguang@csu.edu.cn
%K diabetes mellitus, type 1
%K mobile applications
%K qualitative research
%K surveys and questionnaires
%D 2018
%7 21.9.2018
%9 Original Paper
%J JMIR Mhealth Uhealth
%G English
%X Background: With the popularity of mobile phones, mobile apps have great potential for the management of diabetes, but the effectiveness of current diabetes apps for type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is poor. No study has explored the reasons for this deficiency from the users’ perspective. Objective: The aims of this study were to explore the perspectives and needs of T1DM patients and diabetes experts concerning a diabetes app and to design a new T1DM management mobile app. Methods: A mixed-methods design combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews was used to explore users’ needs and perspectives. Experts were surveyed at 2 diabetes conferences using paper questionnaires. T1DM patients were surveyed using Sojump (Changsha ran Xing InfoTech Ltd) on a network. We conducted semistructured, in-depth interviews with adult T1DM patients or parents of child patients who had ever used diabetes apps. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded for theme identification. Results: The expert response rate was 63.5% (127/200). The respondents thought that the reasons for app invalidity were that patients did not continue using the app (76.4%, 97/127), little guidance was received from health care professionals (HCPs; 73.2%, 93/127), diabetes education knowledge was unsystematic (52.8%, 67/127), and the app functions were incomplete (44.1%, 56/127). A total of 245 T1DM patient questionnaires were collected, of which 21.2% (52/245) of the respondents had used diabetes apps. The reasons for their reluctance to use an app were limited time (39%, 20/52), complicated operations (25%, 13/52), uselessness (25%, 13/52), and cost (25%, 13/52). Both the experts and patients thought that the most important functions of the app were patient-doctor communication and the availability of a diabetes diary. Two themes that were useful for app design were identified from the interviews: (1) problems with patients’ diabetes self-management and (2) problems with current apps. In addition, needs and suggestions for a diabetes app were obtained. Patient-doctor communication, diabetes diary, diabetes education, and peer support were all considered important by the patients, which informed the development of a prototype multifunctional app. Conclusions: Patient-doctor communication is the most important function of a diabetes app. Apps should be integrated with HCPs rather than stand-alone. We advocate that doctors follow up with their patients using a diabetes app. Our user-centered method explored comprehensively and deeply why the effectiveness of current diabetes apps for T1DM was poor and what T1DM patients needed for a diabetes app and provided meaningful guidance for app design. 
%M 30249580
%R 10.2196/11400
%U http://mhealth.jmir.org/2018/9/e11400/
%U https://doi.org/10.2196/11400
%U http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30249580