Table 1. Main characteristics of the included papers.

Author, year	Country	Participants (number; gender (male %); age (range/mean))	Methodology	Perspective	Intervention	Objective of the study	Details of the technology
D. K. King et al., 2012 [42]	USA	n = 30; 46.7; 58.9	Qualitative; focus groups	Patients	Asynchronous (web-based)	To find what patients with type 2 diabetes want from electronic resources that are designed to support their diabetes self-management.	The technology-assisted DSME intervention, MyPath, tested a minimal human contact, 12-month web-based self-management intervention that was designed to provide electronic support for adults with type 2 diabetes to improve their eating, physical activity, and medication-taking behaviors.
S. E. Mitchell et al., 2014 [31]	USA	n = 16; 0; 40+	Qualitative; focus groups	Patients	Asynchronous (virtual reality)	To characterize participants' experiences of a diabetes self-management education program delivered via a virtual world versus a face-to-face format.	A virtual world is a 3D, computer-based simulated environment that presents perceptual stimuli to the user who can in turn manipulate elements of the modeled world. Second Life is an example of a free, open-access, avatar-based virtual world that supports a high level of social networking and immersive interactions with information.
C. H. Yu et al., 2014a [32]	Canada	n = 23; 29; 40–79	Mixed methods; focus groups, semi-structured interviews	Patients	Asynchronous (website)	To design and test a web-based self-management tool for patients with type 2 diabetes for its usability and feasibility.	This is a website focused on facilitating the management of diabetes, including optimizing vascular risk factors. Feedback, goalsetting, peer story-telling, and monitoring tools were incorporated. In order to complement patient health information-seeking behaviors, automated emails with selected content (such as tailored reminders, or new content) were sent, search algorithms to enable self-directed information retrieval were optimized, and tools to facilitate communication with HCPs were included.
C. H. Yu et al., 2014b [33]	Canada	n = 21; 43; 20–79	Mixed methods; individual semi-structured interviews	Patients	Asynchronous (website)	To determine the effect of a web-based patient self-management intervention on psychological (self-efficacy, quality of life and self-care) and clinical (blood pressure, cholesterol, glycaemic control and weight) outcomes.	The Diabetes Online Companion is a self-contained diabetes self-management website that was systematically developed according to the self-efficacy theory. The website had four main components: 1) general information (static), 2) tailored information (interactive), 3) self-monitoring logs (interactive), and 4) a blog (interactive).
N. Patel et al., 2015 [34]	UK (England)	n = 3; NA; NA	Mixed methods; face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews	Patient and HCPs (practice nurse)	Asynchronous (DVD)	To develop and pilot-test the feasibility and effectiveness of an interactive DVD about misconceptions within South Asian communities regarding insulin treatments in type 2 diabetes, for educating patients and community members and training healthcare providers.	A DVD was created with researchers who collaborated with a multidisciplinary group of staff from the diabetes education and self-management for ongoing and newly diagnosed team, including nurses and a dietician. The script was organized to acknowledge and then correct a misconception, followed by a question to test understanding. It also included a quiz at the end.
M. Hofmann et al., 2016 [35]	UK(England)	n = 19; 68; 41–83	Mixed methods; cohort study; semi-structured interviews	Patients	Asynchronous (website)	To explore the impact of using a newly developed internet-based self-management intervention called Healthy Living for People with type 2 Diabetes (HeLP-Diabetes) on the psychological well-being of adults with type 2 diabetes.	HeLP-Diabetes is an internet-based self-management intervention. It takes a holistic view of self-management and addresses a wide range of patient needs, including education, lifestyle changes, medicine management, emotional management, social support with forums, and personal stories, and also addresses how patients interact and work with health professionals. Patients were each given a printed guide and had options of receiving weekly phone calls, texts, or emails to remind them to use the website.
J. Jafari et al., 2016 [36]	Iran	n = 9; 56; 43.3	Qualitative, prospective; semi-structured interviews	Patients	Asynchronous (website)	To explore the educational needs and design aspects of personalized internet-enabled education for patients with diabetes in Iran.	NA
D. D. Maglalang et al., 2017 [38]	USA	n = 45; 38; 57.6	Qualitative; semi-structured interviews	Patients	Synchronous (telehealth)	To assess the acceptability and cultural relevance of the PilAm Go4Health program, a culturally adapted mobile health weight-loss lifestyle intervention including virtual social networking for Filipino Americans with type 2 diabetes.	The participants initially received the PilAm Go4Health three-month intervention and were asked to 1) each wear a Fitbit accelerometer daily, 2) self-report food/calorie intakes and weights using the Fitbit diary application, and 3) participate in the private Facebook group. The research staff posted weekly healthy lifestyle education on the private Facebook site and facilitated ad hoc virtual group discussions. After three months, the participants transitioned to a three-month maintenance to continue healthy behaviors on their own.
S. M. Andrew. s et al., 2017 [37]	USA	n = 18; 100; 60	Qualitative; semi-structured interviews	Patients and HCPs (Home Telehealth Nurses)	Asynchronous (app)	To refine the intervention and inform the delivery of the intervention in other settings, by examining the participants’ experiences.	This was a six-month telemedicine intervention in which HT nurses delivered the intervention’s contents to the participants via biweekly calls. During each call, the nurses and the participants reviewed blood glucose, medications, and medication adherence. Nurses delivered self-management support on topics such as managing hypoglycemia. Following each encounter, a study physician reviewed patients’ blood glucose data and recommended medication changes as indicated, and HT nurses implemented these recommendations.
J. Hall et al., 2018 [39]	UK (Scotland)	n = 15; NA; 18+	Mixed methods, prospective; focus groups	Patients	Asynchronous (website)	To explore perceptions of diabetes knowledge, diabetes education, and uses of technology.	NA
L. Poppe et al., 2018 [40]	Belgium	n = 21; 61.9; 57–81	Qualitative; semi-structured interviews	Patients	Asynchronous (website)	To assess participants’ opinions regarding the usefulness of the implemented self-regulation techniques, the design of the programme, as well as the participants’ knowledge regarding physical activity and sedentary behavior.	‘MyPlan 2.0’ is a self-regulation-based eHealth intervention that targets physical activity and sedentary behavior. The website offers five sessions during which users can learn more about the beneficial effects of being less sedentary or more physically active via tips and quizzes, get feedback on their current levels of physical activity or sedentary behavior using a questionnaire, set their own goals for the coming week, search solutions for potential barriers, think about possible ways to keep track of their behavior changes, read about tips and tricks to become more physically active or less sedentary, and evaluate their behavior change processes each week. After an interval of one week, each user receives an email reminding him/her to start the following session.
K. M. Smith et al., 2018 [41]	USA	NA; NA; NA	Qualitative; semi-structured interviews, focus groups	HCPs (nurses, nurse managers, and PCTs)	Asynchronous (web-based*)	To examine barriers and facilitators of integrating web- based, iPad- delivered diabetes survival skills education (DSSE) into the nursing inpatient unit workflow.	The Diabetes to Go program provides an adaptive learning approach and has been effective in improving medication adherence. The program was delivered in English on a web-enabled device. The patients first logged into the delivery platform and completed a 15-item validated survey to assess their knowledge of diabetes survival skills. Responses to the individual survey questions were then used to direct patients to video contents based on their personal knowledge deficits.
Pal K et al., 2018 [43]	UK (England)	n = 20; 60; 56.8	Qualitative; focus groups	Patients	Asynchronous (website)	To explore patients’ perspectives on unmet needs for self-management and support and the role of DHI in adults living with type 2 diabetes.	NA
L Desveaux et al., 2018 [45]	Canada	n = 13; 61.5; 32–67	Qualitative; semi- structured interviews	Patients	Asynchronous (app)	To evaluate a web-based solution for improving self-management in type 2 diabetes to identify key combinations of contextual variables and mechanisms of action that explain for whom the solution worked best and in what circumstances.	The intervention is a commercially available app designed to serve as a web-based coach for patients with T2DM. This allowed participants to enter a range of baseline clinical information in addition to ongoing data related to diabetes management, including blood glucose values, daily medications, food intakes, and activity levels. The app analyzes inputted data to provide tailored messages to coach the participants with respect to their diabetes management. The participants also had the option of emailing reports to members of their care teams via the app, which provided them with an overview of the inputted data over periods specified by the participants.
L Kelly et al.; 2018 [44]	UK (England)	n = 15; 33.3; 55.4	Qualitative; semi-structured interviews	Patients	Asynchronous (web-based)	To understand the impact of using web-based and mobile technologies to support the management of type 2 diabetes.	NA

NA = not available; HCPs = healthcare professionals; PCTs = patient care technicians; DVD = digital versatile disc

*unspecified in the article.