A multisectoral and multidisciplinary endeavor: a review of diabetes self-management apps in China.
Date
2023-09
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Repository Usage Stats
views
downloads
Citation Stats
Attention Stats
Abstract
Background
While the use of self-management apps has considerable promise to efficiently reduce the diabetes burden that disproportionally affects low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and the multisectoral and multidisciplinary approaches have been encouraged to be used in diabetes management, little is known about the status of the integration of these approaches in the existing diabetes self-management apps. This review examines the diabetes apps in China as an indication of the current status of integrating multisectoral and multidisciplinary approaches in diabetes mHealth care in LMICs.Methods
Eligible diabetes apps were searched on major Chinese app stores up to December 23, 2022. The app comprehensiveness index (ranging 0-80) regarding the app functions and diabetes management domains was created. The multisectoral and multidisciplinary features were summarized using indices derived from current guidance.Results
Sixty-six apps were reviewed, all developed by private companies. The average comprehensiveness score was 16, with many major self-management domains and functions not represented among the reviewed apps. Forty apps (61%) involved multiple sectoral entities, with public/private and private/private collaborations being the most common collaborative combinations. Thirty-seven apps (56%) involved multiple disciplines, among which endocrinology/metabolism, nutrition, and cardiovascular medicine were the top three most common disciplines. Compared to non-multidisciplinary apps, multidisciplinary apps tended to provide more comprehensive services in apps (6.14 vs. 5.18, p = 0.0345). Different sectors and disciplines tended to work independently, without robust interactions, in providing diabetes management services in the reviewed apps.Conclusion
Multisectoral and multidisciplinary features has presented in the current diabetes self-management apps in China; however, it is still in its infancy and significant limitations existed. More engagement of civil society organizations and community groups and innovative collaborations between sectors and disciplines are needed to provide comprehensive, continuous, and patient-centered mHealth care for patients with diabetes in LMICs like China. Clear guidance for integrating and evaluating the multisectoral and multidisciplinary efforts in self-management apps is necessary to ensure the effective use of mHealth solutions for diabetes management in LMICs.Type
Department
Description
Provenance
Subjects
Citation
Permalink
Published Version (Please cite this version)
Publication Info
Chen, Meifang, Daniel Weissglass, Chengyi Li, Di Li, Zixuan Wu and Li Zhang (2023). A multisectoral and multidisciplinary endeavor: a review of diabetes self-management apps in China. BMC public health, 23(1). p. 1859. 10.1186/s12889-023-16735-z Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/34307.
This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
Collections
Scholars@Duke
Meifang Chen
I am a researcher and public health specialist with rich work experience in a wide range of public health context, including as an RN in a top-rank hospital in China, as a Health Educator II in the state health department, and as researcher/program evaluator/consultant for local and statewide health programs in the U.S. I am also a Mater Certified Health Education Specialist.
My major research interest lies in chronic disease prevention and management, which involves understanding their social determinants and evaluating the effects of interventions and policies to address these issues. Leveraging my expertise in geospatial analysis, policy evaluation, and mobile health (mHealth) interventions, I have led and collaborated on multiple projects that assess and optimize community-based health services, particularly for diabetes, cancer, and mental health management. Moreover, my engagement with artificial intelligence and predictive modeling in public health has resulted in developing digital decision-support tools for chronic disease management. Additionally, I have supported and led a number of health research programs on various topics, including smoking cessation, obesity prevention, reproductive and sexual health, maternal and child health, and juvenile delinquency prevention. My research has been published in top academic journals, such as American Journal of Health Promotion, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, the European Journal of Obesity, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Journal of Public Health Nutrition, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, and Chinese Journal of Modern Nursing.
I am the initiator of the Community Health Service Lab in the Social Science Division, co-director of the Health Humanities Lab, senior scientist at the Global Health Research Center, and affiliated faculty at the Center for the Study of Contemporary China at DKU. I am an adjunct professor in Public Health school at Wuhan University. Before joining DKU, I was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health at California State University, Los Angeles. I serve as a research mentor to both undergraduate and graduate students, and as committee member for graduate thesis projects. I am also an active member of the American Public Health Association, the Obesity Society, Society of Public Health Education, and National Association of Chronic Disease Directors. I serve as editorial board member and peer reviewer for health journals.
Daniel Elliot Weissglass
I am an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Duke Kunshan University, a Sino-US joint liberal arts university located in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province, China. I am also an Assistant Professor of the Practice at Duke University, a leading liberal arts research university located in Durham, North Carolina, USA.
I have two major research programs - the fundamentals of cognition and science, health, and technology policy. The fundamentals of cognition program explores intersections between philosophy and the cognitive sciences to improve our understanding of the mind and its operations. My science, health, and technology policy research explores ethical, epistemic, and political challenges arising from contemporary advances in technology and develops policy recommendations to address these challenges. You can see the output of this and related projects in a searchable listing in my published work page. You can also find out more about my teaching, including my teaching philosophy, courses taught, and sample syllabi on my teaching overview page.
Unless otherwise indicated, scholarly articles published by Duke faculty members are made available here with a CC-BY-NC (Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial) license, as enabled by the Duke Open Access Policy. If you wish to use the materials in ways not already permitted under CC-BY-NC, please consult the copyright owner. Other materials are made available here through the author’s grant of a non-exclusive license to make their work openly accessible.