Table 1. Characteristics of included studies in the systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of telemedicine in the delivery of diabetes care, low- and middle-income countries, 2010–2020.
| Author, year | Country | Primary end-point for outcome | Mean age (years) | Mode of delivery of intervention | Outcomes analysed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nesari et al., 201029 | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 12 weeks | 51.9 | Telephone follow-ups | Adherence to treatment, HbA1c |
| Shetty et al., 201130 | India | 1 year | 50.1 | SMS reminders | BMI, HbA1c, total cholesterol, triglycerides |
| Zhou et al., 201431 | China | 3 months | NR | Web-based diabetes telemedicine system | BMI, fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, total cholesterol, triglycerides |
| Shahid et al., 201518 | Pakistan | 4 months | 48.95 | Telephone follow-ups | BMI, HbA1c |
| Anzaldo-Campos et al., 201632 | Mexico | 4 months | 51.5 | SMS, educational videos and online brochures | BMI, diabetes knowledge, HbA1c, total cholesterol, triglycerides |
| Aytekin Kanadli et al., 201633 | Turkey | 3 months | NR | Telephone follow-ups | BMI, HbA1c, self-efficacy, total cholesterol, triglycerides |
| Gopalan et al., 201634 | South Africa | NR | NR | Educational emails | Qualitatively analysed dietary-consumption-related outcomes |
| Kim et al., 201635 | China | 3 months | NR | Internet-based glucose monitoring system | BMI, fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, total cholesterol, triglycerides |
| Peimani et al., 201613 | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 3 months | 49.78 | Educational SMS and telephone follow-ups | BMI, fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, self-efficacy, total cholesterol, triglycerides |
| Abaza & Marschollek, 201736 | Egypt | 3 months | 51.24 | SMS and reminder prompts | Adherence to treatment, diabetes knowledge, HbA1c, self-efficacy |
| Kleinman et al., 201737 | India | 3 months | 48.4 | Smartphone app and web portal | Adherence to treatment, BMI, fasting blood sugar, HbA1c |
| Lee et al., 201738 | Malaysia | NR | 53.24 | Smartphone app | BMI, diabetes knowledge, fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, self-efficacy |
| Hemmati Maslakpak et al., 201727 | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 3 months | 49.46 | Educational telephone calls | Adherence to treatment, BMI, HbA1c, fasting blood sugar, self-efficacy, total cholesterol, triglycerides |
| Namjoo Nasab et al., 201715 | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | NR | NR | Telephone follow-ups | Adherence to treatment, BMI |
| Van Olmen et al., 201739 | Cambodia, Congo, Philippines | 1 year | NR | SMS and voice messages | Diabetes knowledge, HbA1c |
| Wang et al., 201740 | China | 3 months | 52.6 | U-Healthcare website, website messages, telephone prompt | BMI, fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, total cholesterol, triglycerides |
| de Vasconcelos et al., 201841 | Brazil | 24 weeks | 60.9 | Guidance and coaching via telephone calls from research nurse | BMI, HbA1c, high-density lipoproteins, total cholesterol, triglycerides |
| Fang & Deng, 201842 | China | 3 months | 57.69 | SMS | BMI, fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, total cholesterol, triglycerides |
| Ramadas et al., 201843 | Malaysia | 6 months | 49.6 | Web-delivered intervention program, log-in reminders via email and text message follow-ups | Diabetes knowledge, fasting blood sugar, HbA1c |
| Sarayani et al., 201844 | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 3 months | 53.4 | Telephone-based consultation | Adherence to treatment, HbA1c, total cholesterol, triglycerides |
| Duruturk & Özköslü, 201945 | Turkey | 6 weeks | 52.82 | Video conference consultation | HbA1c |
| Goruntla et al., 201946 | India | 6 months | 58.8 | SMS and reminder prompts | Adherence to treatment, BMI, HbA1c, triglycerides |
| Guo et al., 201947 | China | 13 weeks | 31.2 | D-nurse app for monitoring of blood glucose levels and transmission of data to clinic | HbA1c |
| Prabhakaran et al., 201914 | India | 1 year | 56.7 | Android app and SMS reminders | BMI, fasting blood sugar HbA1c, total cholesterol |
| Sun et al., 201948 | China | 3 months | 67.9 | Web-based app, SMS reminders, telephonic reminders | BMI, fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, total cholesterol, triglycerides |
| Vinitha et al., 201949 | India | 24 months | 43.3 | SMS to reinforce healthy lifestyle practices and adherence to medication | BMI, HbA1c, high-density lipoproteins, fasting blood sugar, total cholesterol, triglycerides |
| Wang et al., 201950 | China | 6 months | 45.13 | Hand-held clinic, monitoring prompts, dietary recommendations and exercise guidance via app | Diabetes knowledge, fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, self-efficacy |
| Zhang et al., 201951 | China | 6 months | 53 | Smartphone app and online interactive management | BMI, fasting blood sugar, HbA1c |
| Lee et al., 202052 | Malaysia | 52 weeks | 53.3 | Telemetry | Diabetes knowledge, fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, high-density lipoproteins, self-efficacy, total cholesterol, triglycerides |
| Owolabi et al., 202053 | South Africa | 6 months | 60.64 | SMS for lifestyle advice and appointment reminders | Adherence to treatment |
| Wang et al., 202054 | Mongolia | 12 months | 55.4 | SMS for health awareness, diet control, physical activities, living habits and weight control | Fasting blood sugar |
app: application; BMI: body mass index; HbA1c: glycated haemoglobin; NR: not reported; SMS: short message service.