Various technologies are commonly used to support type 1 diabetes management (continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion therapy, continuous glucose monitoring systems, smartphone and tablet applications, and video conferencing) and may foster self-care, communication, and engagement with health care services. Diabetes educators are key professional supporters of this patient group, and ideally positioned to promote and support technology use. The aim of this study was to examine diabetes educators' perceived experiences, supports, and barriers to use of common diabetes-related technologies for people with type 1 diabetes.
This qualitative ethnographic study recruited across metropolitan, regional and rural areas of Australia using purposive sampling of Australian Diabetes Educators Association members. Data were collected by semistructured telephone interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis.
Participants (n = 31) overwhelmingly indicated that overall the use of technology in the care of patients with type 1 diabetes was burdensome for them. They identified 3 themes involving common diabetes-related technologies: access to technology, available support, and technological advances. Overall, these themes demonstrated that while care was usually well intentioned it was more often fragmented and inconsistent. Most often care was provided by a small number of diabetes educators who had technology expertise.
To realize the potential benefits of these relatively new but common diabetes technologies, many diabetes educators need to attain and retain the skills required to deliver this essential component of care. Furthermore, policy and strategy review is required, with reconfiguration of services to better support care delivery.
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 4. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 20 December 2022.
All research outputs
#10,813,860
of 33,087,078 outputs
Outputs from Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology
#1,079
of 2,090 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#116,045
of 329,631 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology
#43
of 65 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 33,087,078 research outputs across all sources so far. This one has received more attention than most of these and is in the 66th percentile.
So far Altmetric has tracked 2,090 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 14.2. This one is in the 46th percentile – i.e., 46% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
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We're also able to compare this research output to 65 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one is in the 33rd percentile – i.e., 33% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
