Abstract
Introduction: Diabetes treatment requires the involvement of people with diabetes in the form of regular exercise and lifestyle measures. Exercise is an important strategy in the management of diabetes. Regular exercise is necessary for good Glycaemic control and Metabolic health. Newer methods like WhatsApp-based communication are now finding their way into diabetes care. It can assist to maintain a regular exercise program and reduce blood sugar levels. Materials and Methods: A total of 262 patients were selected by random sampling. They were of age 15-65 years with DM. Inclusion Criteria: 1. Known case of DM 2. Consent to share data. 3. Ability to use WhatsApp. Exclusion criteria: 1. Inability to use WhatsApp 2. Any condition which impairs movement. Randomly allocated to two groups of 131 persons. The first group participants were added to a WhatsApp group and asked to send their exercise and blood glucose data to the clinic over WhatsApp. The other group was treated as usual. Participants were monitored for HBA1C at 3 and 6 months and surveyed for exercise patterns by a questionnaire at 3 and 6 months. The results were analyzed using SPSS. Result: After excluding, 2 dropped patients from both groups remaining 258 patient data shows: HBA1C reduction in the WhatsApp group of 1.9% as compared to 1% in the routine care group. The number of patients achieving the target goal of 7% HBA1C in the WhatsApp group (74%) as compared to the routine group (56%) . 77% of patients in the WhatsApp group did regular exercise as compared to 42% in the routine group. Discussion: With newer modalities, the ways and means to communicate with patients have improved. This has paved way for newer messaging platforms like WhatsApp for better patient-centric communication. These tools if used correctly can reduce in-person follow-ups but increase the connection between caregiver and patients and can result in better patient outcomes and will lead to reduced complications and financial implications. Disclosure B.Saboo: None. A.Shrivastava: None. A.Tewari: None. A.V.Inamdar: None. S.Saboo: None. B.D.Saboo: None.
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