title: A randomized, controlled trial of an automated wireless messaging system for diabetes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aggressive management of blood glucose reduces future diabetes-related complications, but this is difficult to achieve.
  
  
  METHODS
  This randomized, controlled study tested the effect of using a wireless two-way pager-based automated messaging system to improve diabetes control through facilitated self-management. The system sent health-related messages to patients, with automatic forwarding of urgent patient responses to the health care team.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants in both the experimental (pager) and the control groups experienced an average hemoglobin A1c decrease of 0.1-0.3%. More patients in the pager group were normotensive, and more felt that their health care was better by the end of the study. A total of 79% of participants enjoyed using the pager, and 68% wanted to continue using the system.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Utilizing a wireless, automated messaging system in clinical practice is a feasible, low-cost, interactive way to facilitate diabetes self-management, which is acceptable to patients. While providing a convenient way for patients and providers to communicate, this system can support automated recording and ready retrieval of these real-time interactions.
authors.affiliation: University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98195-6340, USA.
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Leu
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Norris
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hummel
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Isaac
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Brogan
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D010349:Patient Compliance; D013685:Telecommunications
chemical_list: D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin