Efficacy of information and communication technology interventions for the management of diabetes mellitus: An umbrella review and evidence map

Abstract

SummaryIntroductionWe validated the quality of evidence and potential benefits of information and communication technology interventions on diabetes‐related health outcomes.MethodsWe systematically searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Google Scholar, and CINAHL and manually searched the reference lists of the retrieved review articles from each database's inception to October 2022. Randomized controlled trials were included to determine the benefits of information and communication technology interventions on diabetes outcomes.ResultsTen meta‐analyses of randomized controlled trials were included, with 37 unique outcomes encompassing 379 studies and >70,000 participants across 47 countries and six continents. Information and communication technology intervention was associated with reduced HbA1c levels in patients with type 1 (moderate certainty), type 2 (moderate certainty), and gestational diabetes (low certainty) and showed potential benefits for type 2 diabetes, demonstrating a reduction in systolic blood pressure (high certainty), low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (low certainty), and body weight (low certainty), whereas those for gestational diabetes demonstrated a reduction in fasting (low certainty) and 2‐h postprandial blood glucose levels (low certainty).ConclusionThis umbrella review and evidence map revealed varying evidence on the potential benefits of information and communication technology interventions for diabetes‐related outcomes. Our results demonstrate these interventions to be novel treatment options for policymakers and physicians to establish personalized health strategies.