Table 3.
Distribution of characteristics of diabetes app use by diabetes type.
| Choice | Persons with type 1 DM, N (%) | Persons with type 2 DM, N (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Type of smartphone | 572 (54.5) | 432 (68.8) |
| Android | 458 (43.7) | 174 (27.7) |
| Apple (iPhone) | 13 (1.7) | 172.7 |
| Windows | 6 (0.6) | 5 (0.8) |
| APP INSTALLING/USING SKILL | ||
| Highly skilled or expert user | 560 (53.4) | 232 (37) |
| Good skill | 436 (41.6) | 309 (49.4) |
| Poor skill | 53 (5) | 85 (13.6) |
| INSTALLED DIABETES APP | ||
| No | 503 (47.8) | 420 (63.7) |
| Yes | 549 (52.2) | 210 (33.3) |
| 1,052 | 630 | |
| Problems encountered with the diabetes apps | N = 549 | N = 210 |
| Crashing of software | 66 (12) | 13 (6.2) |
| Difficulty of understanding advice given by the app | 32 (5.8) | 9 (4.3) |
| Results that do not align with other medical advise you have been given | 33 (4.3) | 12 (5.7) |
| No problems | 395 (72) | 161 (76.7) |
| USE YOUR APP TO CALCULATE YOUR INSULIN DOSE | ||
| Yes | 120 (21.9) | 17 (8) |
| No | 429 (78.1) | 193 (92) |
| Had problems with insulin does calculator | N = 120 | N = 17 |
| Wrong insulin dose calculations | 22 (18.3) | 0 |
| Insulin dose provided without entering the necessary values | 7 (5.8) | 0 |
| USEFUL FEATURES OF THE APPS: MULTIPLE RESPONSES | ||
| Diary of blood glucose levels | 423 (77) | 184 (91.4) |
| Reminders to check blood glucose levels | 131 (23.9) | 47 (22.4) |
| Diary of meals and carbohydrate intake | 279 (52.5) | 106 (50.5) |
| Calculation device to determine insulin dose | 134 (24.2) | 24 (11.4) |
| Guidelines of ideal blood glucose measurements | 116 (21.1) | 57 (27.1) |
| Calendar of diabetes related appointments | 62 (11.3) | 22 (10.5) |
| Contact details for your diabetes team or General practitioner | 64 (11.8) | 27 (12.8) |
| Dietary advice | 85 (15.5) | 40 (19) |
| Your contact details and condition information | 55 (10) | 30 (14.3) |
| FREQUENCY OF APP USE | ||
| Never | 26 (4.7) | 7 (3.3) |
| Only when needing guidance | 52 (9.5) | 7 (3.3) |
| Monthly | 17 (3.1) | 3 (1.4) |
| Weekly | 21 (3.8) | 12 (5.7) |
| Few days per week | 44 (8) | 26 (12.4) |
| Daily | 168 (30.7) | 60 (28.6) |
| Every time a person eats or takes | 220 (40.2) | 95 (45) |
| USEFULNESS OF THE DIABETES APP | ||
| Not at all useful | 10 (1.8) | 5 (2.4) |
| Not very useful | 17 (3.1) | 11 (5.3) |
| Somewhat useful | 143 (26) | 62 (29.7) |
| Very useful | 184 (33.6) | 76 (36.4) |
| Extremely useful | 194 (35) | 55 (26.3) |
| HOW WELL DOES THE DIABETES APP FUNCTION | ||
| Does not function | 5 (0.9) | 4 (1.9) |
| Some functions work, but slow or has technical problems | 14 (2.6) | 7 (3.4) |
| App works overall, but slow or has technical problems at times | 46 (8.4) | 19 (9.2) |
| Mostly functional with minor problems | 275 (50.5) | 55 (26.6) |
| Perfect with no technical problems | 205 (37.6) | 122 (58.9) |
| HOW EASY IS IT TO LEARN HOW TO USE THE DIABETES APP | ||
| There are no/limited user instructions, or it is confusing | 7 (1.3) | 7 (3.3) |
| Useable after a lot of time/effort | 21 (3.8) | 4 (1.9) |
| Useable after some time/effort | 75 (13.7) | 23 (10.9) |
| Easy to learn to use with given instructions | 186 (34) | 69 (32.9) |
| Able to use immediately, simple | 258 (47.2) | 107 (51) |
| HOW EASY IS IT TO NAVIGATE THROUGH YOUR APP? | ||
| Different sections within the App are disconnected | 9 (1.7) | 7 (3.3) |
| Easy after a lot of time/effort | 16 (2.9) | 6 (2.9) |
| Easy after some time/effort | 98 (18) | 32 (15.4) |
| Easy but missing minor links | 104 (19) | 27 (13) |
| Perfectly easy | 319 (58.4) | 136 (65.4) |
| HOW DO YOU FIND THE LAYOUT/DESIGN OF YOUR APP? | ||
| Very poor, some options are impossible to locate | 6 (1.1) | 4 (1.9) |
| Poor, some options are difficult to locate | 24 (4.4) | 10 (4.8) |
| Satisfactory, few problems with selecting options | 119 (21.8) | 37 (17.9) |
| Good, able to locate all options | 240 (44) | 96 (46.4) |
| Excellent, logical and clear layout | 156 (28.6) | 60 (29) |
| REASONS FOR NOT USING AN APP | ||
| Didn't know they existed | 83 (16.8) | 175 (42.9) |
| They do not work on my mobile phone | 32 (6.5) | 11 (2.7) |
| Cost | 24 (4.9) | 29 (7.1) |
| Feel confident without one | 111 (22.5) | 77 (18.9) |
| Have tried one before and didn't like it | 156 (31.6) | 63 (15.44) |
| WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN USING A SMARTPHONE APP TO ASSIST WITH YOUR DIABETES MANAGEMENT? | ||
| Yes | 310 (61.6) | 218 (51.9) |
| No | 193 (38.4) | 202 (48.1) |