Promoting Primary Care Provider Awareness of Glucose Buddy: A Mobile Application Resource Supporting Diabetes Self-Management

Abstract

Background: Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the state of Arizona, the sixthleading cause in Pima County, and approximately 1 in 3 Arizonans have been diagnosed with prediabetes. Poorly managed diabetes leads to numerous health complications, as demonstrated by the direct and indirect healthcare associated burden totaling $327 billion in 2017. However, the emergence of mobile health applications may help to support patients with diabetes education, self-management, and improved patient outcomes. Purpose: The objective of this QI project was to promote primary care providers’ knowledge of the evidence-based benefits of mobile health (mHealth) applications such as Glucose Buddy and increase provider intent to offer this as a resource to patients within the primary care setting. This project was conducted at a primary care clinic in Tucson, Arizona. Methods: Participants of the QI project at a local primary care clinic received an online pretest survey, educational video presentation provided by email, and posttest survey conducted on Qualtrics. This pretest/posttest design was implemented over a two-week period to assess the change in knowledge and intent to offer this application to patients. To inform the process of this QI project, Lewin’s Change Theory Model served as the guiding framework to test change. Results: Three providers and two medical assistants completed the Glucose Buddy educational training in the two-week period. All five participants reported increased confidence in their knowledge regarding the Glucose Buddy application and indicated a willingness to offer the application as a diabetic resource to patients. Two of the three providers, and two of the medical assistants recommended Glucose Buddy to at least one patient within the two-week period of the quality improvement project.