Evaluation of the effectiveness of mobile diabetic foot personal care system in diabetic individuals

This study aims to develop the Mobile Diabetic Foot Personal Care System (m-DAKBAS) related to foot care for diabetic individuals and to evaluate the effectiveness of this mobile application on the knowledge, behavior and self-efficacy of diabetic individuals. The data of the experimentally planned study were collected in a training and research hospital in Gaziantep between May 2017 and April 2018. Ethical committee approval, institutional permission and patient consent were obtained for the research. Sample was identified using power analysis (experimental=44; control=44). The participants who met the research criteria and who accepted to participate in the study were assigned to the experimental and control groups using a computer-based randomization list. Data were collected using the "Patient Description Form", "Diabetic Foot Information Form - DFIF", "Diabetic Foot Behaviour Scale –DFBS", "Diabetic Foot Care Self Efficacy Scale – DFCSES", and "m-DAKBAS Assessment Form". Mann Whitney U, Wilcoxon, Chi-square, Mc Nemar, Kruskal-Wallis and Pearson correlation tests were used for the statistical analyses. Results showed a homogeneous distribution in terms of the sociodemographic and disease-related variables of the experimental and control group patients participating in the study; no differences were defined between the groups (p>0,05). The patients in the experimental group were applied interventions including information about foot care in diabetes in the m-DAKBAS while the control group was administered foot care training about diabetes through verbal instruction. Six months later, assessments showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control group in terms of DFIF mean score in favour of the experimental group (p<0,05). However, no differences were defined in terms of the DFBS and DFCSES scores (p>0,05). In comparison to the control group, the patients in the experimental group had significant improvements in foot cracks, and there was a significant increase in the correct shoe selection (p<0,05). In conclusion, this study found that the training given through the mobile application increased the patients' knowledge level about foot care and had positive effects on some foot care behaviours. Based on these results, it is recommended that m-DAKBAS should be improved in terms of some parameters, and studies with larger sample size should be conducted about its effects on patient outcomes through extended patient follow-up periods. Key words: Diabetic foot, mobile application, health technology