Guidelines for mobile health applications adopted amongst adolescents

Abstract: The enhanced usability as well as pervasiveness of smart phones has resulted in a renewed interest as well as development of healthcare apps. The current era can be called an mHealth revolution as medical apps created for smart phones are flourishing in the market. To manage Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) effectively, time, basic mathematics and memory is required. Individuals living with T1DM need to count carbohydrates, monitor blood glucose levels and determine insulin dosages. Research shows that the quality of life for individuals living with diabetes can be enhanced through the effective management of diabetes with the use of smart phones. The behaviour of adolescents has the biggest impact on trying to achieve this objective. Evidence suggests that the use of mHealth apps can be used effectively as to monitor glucose levels, which is recognised as a core element for the effective self-management of diabetes. Therefore, by finding out which mHealth apps individuals living with T1DM are using to manage their illness effectively could be used to generate recommendations that adolescents can adhere to when using these specific mHealth apps to manage their illness more effectively. An in-depth literature review was conducted which focused on using mHealth apps to help manage T1DM as well as the role, benefits and challenges of mHealth apps. A qualitative research methodology was carried out in order to contribute to the lack of literature pertaining to how mHealth apps can assist adolescents with managing T1DM more effectively. Evaluation criteria tools were used to rate specific mHealth apps for diabetes self-management and focus group interviews were conducted in order to find out about the views, opinions and experiences of the individuals who used the apps. The main objective of this study was to find out which mHealth apps are enablers to support the effective management of T1DM. Essentially, committed individuals who were already using mHealth apps to manage their T1DM successfully were sought. Recommendations were then created for adolescents who were experiencing difficulty in managing their illness. These recommendations were then tested to determine whether it can or cannot assist adolescents with managing their T1DM by making use of mHealth apps.M.Phil. (Information Management