Development and Evaluation of a Mobile Application for Educating Patients with Diabetes Mellitus
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Abstract
Objective: To develop a mobile application for educating patients with diabetes mellitus, and to evaluate the application's system functionality, accuracy, appropriateness, as well as user satisfaction. Method: Information regarding existing problems and clinical requirements for the mobile application was collected through in-depth interviews with a multidisciplinary healthcare team (comprising one physician, one nurse, one pharmacist, one nutritionist, and one physical therapist) and three village health volunteers (VHVs) diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. Based on the obtained insights, the mobile application was developed using the THUNKABLE platform. System quality and performance were validated by three information technology experts. The accuracy and appropriateness of the content within the application were evaluated through interviews with seven healthcare professionals and three VHVs with diabetes mellitus. Finally, a satisfaction survey was administered to sixty patients with diabetes mellitus. Results: The developed mobile application, named "Diabetes Guide," consists of four main modules: "Ease Your Mind with Diabetes" (diabetes general education), "Diabetes Medications," "Food and Nutrition," and "Physical Exercise." Validation of system functionality by the information technology experts yielded an average score of 4.67 ± 0.48 (out of 5). Evaluation of content accuracy and appropriateness regarding general composition and information accuracy by healthcare professionals revealed a mean score of 4.85 ± 0.38 (out of 5). Furthermore, the overall satisfaction score among patients with diabetes mellitus was 4.86 ± 0.37 (out of 5). Conclusion: The developed mobile application aligns effectively with the needs of both patients and healthcare professionals and achieved high user satisfaction. It should be scaled up for use in hospitals and community settings, including promoting its adoption among VHVs as a supportive tool for diabetes care. Continuous development and updates of the mobile application are recommended to further enhance its educational effectiveness and user-friendliness.
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ผลการวิจัยและความคิดเห็นที่ปรากฏในบทความถือเป็นความคิดเห็นและอยู่ในความรับผิดชอบของผู้นิพนธ์ มิใช่ความเห็นหรือความรับผิดชอบของกองบรรณาธิการ หรือคณะเภสัชศาสตร์ มหาวิทยาลัยสงขลานครินทร์ ทั้งนี้ไม่รวมความผิดพลาดอันเกิดจากการพิมพ์ บทความที่ได้รับการเผยแพร่โดยวารสารเภสัชกรรมไทยถือเป็นสิทธิ์ของวารสารฯ
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