Northlanders with diabetes sought for SMS study

Northlanders with diabetes sought for SMS study

University of Auckland - Media Release - 13 November 2015

Northland people with diabetes are sought for an innovative study to determine whether text message support can help people to better manage their diabetes.

University of Auckland researchers are looking for 1000 people with diabetes (type 1 or 2) aged 16 years and above, from across New Zealand to take part in the study.

The researchers have developed a text message based self-management programme called Self-Management Support for Blood Glucose or SMS4BG to address the behaviours required for successful diabetes self-management.

“The challenging nature of diabetes management has led us to develop SMS4BG - a text message self-management support programme for New Zealand adults with diabetes” says Dr Robyn Whittaker, who is leading the study for the National Institute for Health Innovation at the University of Auckland.

There is a growing incidence of diabetes in New Zealand and evidence indicates that good diabetes control provides significant benefit in improving outcomes for those with the disease.

The research, funded by the Health Research Council in partnership with Auckland and Waitemata District Health Boards and the Ministry of Health, is looking at whether SMS4BG can help to improve glycaemic control in people with diabetes.

People who are eligible and interested to take part in this study will be contacted by a researcher to complete a phone interview about them and their diabetes.

The researchers will randomly allocate people to either the intervention (SMS4BG) or to a control group (usual care).

Those in the intervention group will receive the SMS4BG text message programme for three to nine months. At nine months after the start of the study all participants will be contacted to complete another phone interview.

Participants will need a mobile phone to take part in the study, and all participants will receive a voucher to thank them for their time.

Anyone interested in taking part in the SMS4BG study are asked to contact the research team to see if they are eligible either by email on SMS4BG@auckland.ac.nz or text message on 021 08533322

ENDS

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