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Acceptance of Diabetes Apps among Diabetes Patients 50+ and Attending
Physicians
Madlen Arnhold, Wilhelm Kirch
TU Dresden, Faculty of Medicine, Research Association Public Health, Fiedlerstraße
33, Dresden 01307, Germany
Tel: +49 351 458 13457
[email protected];
Mobile applications (apps) are increasingly used for supporting persons suffering from
diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2. However, due to a lack of acceptance and usability, apps are
rarely used by the elderly. We therefore examine the following question within the framework
of our study: How should a mobile application be designed to support an effective selfmanagement for diabetes patients 50+? We carried out a systematic review in the first quarter
of 2013 in order to get an overview of all currently available diabetes apps for the currently
leading operating systems iOS and Android. Additionally, based on a 10%-sample of apps a
usability-test was performed in order to examine the question: „Do the available applications
serve the special needs of elderly diabetes patients?” The systematic review provides a
comprehensive overview of the apps’ range of functions, user groups, languages, acquisition
costs, popularity/user ratings and the availability of interfaces to external sensors/devices.
Moreover, as an outcome of the usability-test, first design features improving/hampering the
user-friendliness for the elderly were derived. The review provided the basis for a survey
among diabetics 50+ and attending physicians/ diabetologists we carried out between July and
November 2013. Within 44 guided interviews we investigated the current use of mobile
devices and applications, acceptance promoting/ inhibiting factors, potentially needed support
and concrete design features for the development of a user- and needs-oriented diabetes app.
Amongst others, the results provide evidence for differences in acceptance between different
age groups, type-1- and type-2-diabetes patients, and between patients and attending
physicians. Merging the results of the systematic review and the conducted survey, a userand needs-oriented diabetes app will be developed for diabetes patients 50+. In order to
guarantee user-friendliness, the prospective users are involved in the product development
from the beginning. The results of regular usability tests are integrated continuously in the app
optimization process. This study is conducted within the ESF-funded project InnoMedTec.
Keywords: apps, mhealth, diabetes, elderly, acceptance