title: Smartphone-enabled health coach intervention for people with diabetes from a modest socioeconomic strata community: single-arm longitudinal feasibility study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lower socioeconomic strata (SES) populations have higher chronic disease risks. Smartphone-based interventions can support adoption of health behaviors that may, in turn, reduce the risks of type 2 diabetes-related complications, overcoming the obstacles that some patients may have with regular clinical contact (eg, shiftwork, travel difficulties, miscommunication).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The intent of the study was to develop and test a smartphone-assisted intervention that improves behavioral management of type 2 diabetes in an ethnically diverse, lower SES population within an urban community health setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  This single-arm pilot study assessed a smartphone application developed with investigator assistance and delivered by health coaches. Participants were recruited from the Black Creek Community Health Centre in Toronto and had minimal prior experience with smartphones.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 21 subjects consented and 19 participants completed the 6-month trial; 12 had baseline glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels >7.0% and these subjects demonstrated a mean reduction of 0.43% (SD 0.63) (P<.05) with minimal changes in medication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This project supported the feasibility of smartphone-based health coaching for individuals from lower SES with minimal prior smartphone experience.
authors.affiliation: School of Kinesiology & Health Science, Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Noah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wayne
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ritvo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D040421:Cell Phone; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D034742:Electronic Mail; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012923:Social Class; D017216:Telemedicine
chemical_list: D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin
keywords: diabetes mellitus; health coaching; telehealth; type 2