Abstract
BackgroundThe prevalence of diabetes in the Gulf States is one of the highest globally. It is estimated that 20% of the population in the region has been diagnosed with diabetes and according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), five of the IDF’s “top 10” countries for diabetes prevalence in 2011 and projected for 2030 are in this region. In recent years, there have been an increasing number of clinical studies advocating the use of mobile phone technology for diabetes self-management with improved clinical outcomes. However, there are few studies to date addressing the application of mobile diabetes management in the Gulf region, particularly in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), where there is exponential increase in mobile phone usage and access to social networking.ObjectiveThe objective of this paper is to present the design and development of a new mobile health system for social behavioral change and management tailored for Saudi patients with diabetes called Saudi Arabia Networking for Aiding Diabetes (SANAD). A usability study for the SANAD system is presented to validate the acceptability of using mobile technologies among patients with diabetes in the KSA and the Gulf region.MethodsThe SANAD system was developed using mobile phone technology with diabetes management and social networking modules. For the usability study the Questionnaire for User Interaction Satisfaction was used to evaluate the usability aspect of the SANAD system. A total of 33 users with type 2 diabetes participated in the study.ResultsThe key modules of the SANAD system consist of (1) a mobile diabetes management module; (2) a social networking module; and (3) a cognitive behavioral therapy module for behavioral change issues. The preliminary results of the usability study indicated general acceptance of the patients in using the system with higher usability rating in patients with type 2 diabetes.ConclusionsWe found that the acceptability of the system was high among Saudi patients with diabetes, and ongoing work in this research area is underway to conduct a clinical pilot study in the KSA for patients with type 2 diabetes. The wide deployment of such a system is timely and required in the Gulf region due to the wide use of mobile phones and social networking mediums.
Highlights
The global prevalence of diabetes is alarming, with approximately 366 million individuals living with this long-term condition
We present the general structure of a mobile diabetes management system tailored for Saudi patients called Saudi Arabia Networking for Aiding Diabetes (SANAD)
The concept of the SANAD system is based on four modules: the mobile diabetes management module, the social networking module, the cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) module, and the feedback mechanism and messaging box module
Summary
The global prevalence of diabetes is alarming, with approximately 366 million individuals living with this long-term condition. The prevalence of diabetes in the Gulf States is one of the highest globally; it is estimated that 20% of the population has been diagnosed with diabetes. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has the seventh-highest prevalence of diabetes in the world; an estimated 20% of the population has been diagnosed with diabetes, most of the type 2 form [1]. Various factors contribute to this chronic disease’s prevalence, such as family history, obesity, smoking habits, limited health awareness, social behavioral and culture norms, and health education As a result, these factors along with coronary artery disease have become a major health burden in the Kingdom. There are few studies to date addressing the application of mobile diabetes management in the Gulf region, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), where there is exponential increase in mobile phone usage and access to social networking. The wide deployment of such a system is timely and required in the Gulf region due to the wide use of mobile phones and social networking mediums
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