DiAchieve - an e-health lifestyle program for improved self-management, prevention and remission of type 2 diabetes
Background: Recent evidence suggest that T2D may be preventable and reversible if intensified lifestyle measures are implemented successfully. However, whether durable effects can be obtained in a large, national, population-based cohort, is not known. Furthermore, limited resources are allocated to preventive initiatives in primary care in Norway. Emerging evidence demonstrates the benefit of telemedicine and internet-based services for diabetes prevention and the management of T2D.
Aim: We will develop an effective, comprehensive and secure e-health program to guide and support people with T2D to obtain a healthy lifestyle and weight, ensuring secure and easy communication between participants in the program and health care providers or lifestyle coaches. The program will be designed in close collaboration with people with T2D, Primary Health care and the health-tech industry. We will perform a randomized controlled trial of lifestyle intervention with or without support of the e-health program to assess whether the program increases remission of T2D.
News from 2022:
In 2022 we have started a qualitative pre-study, DiaMestring, where we are investigating user needs and preferences for an e-health program through focus group interviews with patients with T2D (1). Several focus group meetings, feasibility studies, and tests will be made throughout the preparation phase in 2023-24, before the RCT starts in 2025, to ensure the e-health program is user-friendly, safe, motivational, and perceived as useful for all participating stakeholders.
Our industry partner Abel Technologies has already developed a mobile application for lifestyle intervention and digital follow-up in general, and our technical research partner at the University of Tromsø has experience from designing several health apps, whereof the previous “Diabetes Diary” app is strongly related to our aims in this project.
Based on previous diabetes and self-management studies from our project group, and results from the qualitative pre-study so far, we plan that the e-health program will include:
1) an educational digital course module that can be tailored to the users’ individual needs and interactive webinars accessible through the program, hosted by health specialists.
2) individual digital coaching by trained health care personnel through video conference tools, chat, and phone.
3) A mobile phone-based motivational self-management app. This app will offer the user relevant data and information from sensors and devices according to the users’ needs and preferences (physical activity and sleep sensors, weight scales, blood glucose monitors, etc.), as well as easy ways for recording dietary intake, and other parameters.
We are currently seeking funding to complete the development of the e-health program and to test it in a nationwide RCT in collaboration with The Norwegian Primary Care Research Network (Praksisnett).
Publications 2022:
1. Rishaug T, Henriksen A, Aas A-M, Hartvigsen G, Birkeland KI, Årsand E, editors. Designing an e-Health Program for Lifestyle Changes in Diabetes Care A Qualitative Pre-Study in Norway. The 18th Scandinavian Conference on Health Informatics; 2022; Tromsø: Linköping Electronic Conference Proceedings.