Willingness to Use Smartphone Applications for Diabetes Management: A Cross-sectional Survey

Background: Diabetes is a common and serious health problem worldwide, causing millions of deaths each year. Smartphone applications offer potential benefits in education, risk mitigation, diagnosis, self-care, and treatment. However, adoption and sustained use of diabetes management apps are limited due to some barriers including technological challenges, patient-related concerns, healthcare system limitations, and behavioral factors. This study aims to assess the current usage of smartphone apps among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients in an urban population of Delhi, India. T2DM. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional observational study was conducted on 530 patients with T2DM from January 2022 to December 2022 in the Northern region of India, T2DM. Data were collected using a structured digital questionnaire and analyzed to provide insights into digital health utilization. Results: The study found that 55.1% of participants actively used smartphone applications for T2DM management, demonstrating significant adoption, whereas 36.4% did not use such apps, and 8.5% were uncertain. Confidence levels in using these applications varied, with 42.3% reporting high confidence and 4.7% expressing very low confidence. Notably, 92.5% of respondents were willing to seek assistance from personal networks for managing T2DM through smartphones. In addition, 63.0% showed a moderate intent to use these applications in the future. Conclusion: The study underscores the need for enhanced education and support to bridge knowledge gaps and promote broader adoption of mHealth tools.