Systematic Review of Mobile Phone Apps Currently Available to Norwegian Users to Support Diabetes Self-management

Diabetes is a chronic illness that affects millions of people worldwide. Patients who find it difficult to adhere to its complex treatment regimen face severe health implications. For example, many patients find it challenging to meet diabetes self-management demands such as frequent blood sugar checks, regular insulin and/or medication use, and consistent dietary and exercise regimens. Studies have shown that mobile health (mHealth) solutions and mobile applications (apps) offer unique opportunities for meeting these challenges and achieving better treatment adherence. With increasing mobile phone adoption, many commercial diabetes self-management apps have become available. Such fast-paced developments make it difficult for patients and healthcare providers to stay current. This systematic review of diabetes apps available to Norwegian users aims to give an overview of the apps on the market. By comparing and reviewing results across various themes, this study identifies important ones for successful diabetes self-management. This will enable identifying other areas that should be considered in the design and development of diabetes self-management apps