Abstract

Adherence to care and treatment of chronic conditions is a well-researched area. In the context of diabetes, many experts have identified self-care adherence as one of the major factors influencing patients’ health outcomes. Cases of non-adherence to self-care among diabetic patients have been well documented. The adverse effects of non-adherence are costly to both the patient and the healthcare industry. This proposed research attempts to mitigate the problem of non-adherence to care by incorporating mobile technology as a tool of support to promote care adherence. Specifically, the use of cellular phone Short Message Service (SMS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to increase adherence to self-care amongst diabetes patients is investigated.

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Sustaining Gains: Short Message Service (SMS)-Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Enabled Model for Diabetes Self-Care

Adherence to care and treatment of chronic conditions is a well-researched area. In the context of diabetes, many experts have identified self-care adherence as one of the major factors influencing patients’ health outcomes. Cases of non-adherence to self-care among diabetic patients have been well documented. The adverse effects of non-adherence are costly to both the patient and the healthcare industry. This proposed research attempts to mitigate the problem of non-adherence to care by incorporating mobile technology as a tool of support to promote care adherence. Specifically, the use of cellular phone Short Message Service (SMS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to increase adherence to self-care amongst diabetes patients is investigated.