DTEXT – text messaging intervention to improve outcomes of people with type 2 diabetes: protocol for randomised controlled trial and cost-effectiveness analysis

摘要

BackgroundDiabetes prevalence is rapidly increasing, with type 2 diabetes predicted to be the leading contributor of non-communicable disease in Australia by 2020. It is anticipated that rates of type 2 diabetes will continue to increase if factors such as overweight and obesity, low physical activity and poor nutrition are not addressed. The majority of Australians with type 2 diabetes do not meet the guidelines for optimal diabetes management, and access to diabetes education is limited. This highlights the need for new interventions that can reduce existing barriers to diabetes education, attain greater population reach and support self-management strategies for people with type 2 diabetes.Mobile phone text messages have shown promising results as an intervention for people with chronic disease. They have the ability to achieve high levels of engagement and broad population reach, whilst requiring minimal resources. There is however, no evidence on the effect of text messaging to improve the health of people with type 2 diabetes in Australia.