Objective: Diabetes self-management education (DSME) can create sustained behavior change. While the incidence and prevalence of diabetes continue to rise, educational tools and DSME programs are still significantly underutilized. Mobile health apps are emerging as cost-effective, patient-centered models for diabetes management. This study investigates participant and provider perceptions of different modalities for diabetes education including face-to-face education and mobile health apps. The aims of the study are (1) To determine participant perceived effectiveness of a group diabetes education program (2) To determine outcomes, retention, and use of one-on-one appointments and (3) To examine utilization trends of mobile health apps for diabetes management in the dietetics practice.

Methods: Program evaluations were assessed to determine participant satisfaction of 14 classes completed between December 2016 and December 2017. Clinical outcomes were collected from Diabetes Chronicles for 35 participants to examine before and after HbA1c and weight. A survey was developed on RedCAP(TM) and distributed to registered dietitian nutritionists who belong to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Results: 57 participants completed post-program evaluations. Out of 33 participants whose clinical outcomes were examined, 15 had complete pre and post HbA1c and weight, which revealed inconsistent changes in measures. Of 93 RDNs who responded to the RedCAP survey, 46 (49.5%) reported recommending mobile health apps to people with diabetes.

Conclusions: Participants subjectively expressed interest and satisfaction with a DSME program. Objective measures were difficult to assess. This study demonstrates the challenge of obtaining retrospective data collection for measurement of program outcomes. Reliable data collection and documentation is crucial for program evaluation. This study also indicates that there is growing interest in the dietetics field for the use of mobile health apps for diabetes management. However, dietitians request further education and resources so they can make sound recommendations to clients.