Harnessing mHealth and Social Support to Improve Diabetes Related Health Behavior for Inner-city Patients

This will be the first ever evaluation of a highly scalable and low-cost social support
intervention for patients with diabetes delivered entirely via mobile phones. TExT-MED FANS
(Trial to Examine Text-based mHealth for Emergency Department Patients With Diabetes With
Family And Friend Network Supporter) will unite the benefits of mHealth (scalability, ease of
access) and social support interventions (personalized motivation, emotional support). The
Diabetes FANS text message based curriculum will make it easier for friends and family to
become supporters. Additionally, augmenting TExT-MED with the FANS social support module will
be more effective than TExT-MED alone. The personalized support of TExT-MED FANS will also be
more effective than providing TExT-MED in combination with a community health worker
supporter who lacks a pre-existing relationship with the patient. Through this innovative
combination, I can create a more cost-effective and diffusible mHealth solution that
maintains the personal connection of social support interventions. To date there has only
been one study evaluating social support interventions for patients with diabetes using
mHealth, but in this study participants were paired with other subjects with diabetes (not
friends or family) and it required intensive face-to-face support group time. TExT-MED FANS
will provide key insights into the utility of combining social support interventions
delivered solely via mHealth in low-income Latino patients. These insights will help future
interventions achieve maximal impact on diabetes and other chronic disease management.

Inclusion Criteria:

- type II diabetes

- HbA1c >or=8 at enrollment

- speak English or Spanish

- has support person willing to participate

Exclusion Criteria:

- unable to consent

- pediatric patient