Effectiveness of mHealth interventions for improving diabetes management outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes: A cluster randomized crossover trial in Western Rajasthan

Problem considered: Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) poses a major public health challenge in India, particularly in Western Rajasthan, where access to consistent diabetes care is limited.Despite national programs, management gaps persist.mHealth interventions offer scalable, low-cost solutions, but evidence from Indian primary care settings remains limited.Methods: This cluster-randomized crossover trial was conducted between January and November 2024 across two urban Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.One PHC (n = 140) received an mHealth intervention (SMS and Android app reminders) with usual care, while the other (n = 140) received usual care alone.The primary outcome was the change in HbA1c, quality of life, and other health outcomes at 6 months, analyzed using paired and independent t-tests.Results: Finding shows, the intervention group showed significant improvements: mean HbA1c decreased from 9.23 % to 8.33 % (p < 0.001), BMI from 27.25 to 26.74 kg/m 2 (p < 0.05), systolic BP from 138 to 132 mmHg (p < 0.01), diastolic BP from 86 to 84 mmHg (p < 0.05), and quality of life improved (p = 0.001).The control group demonstrated a significant reduction in mean HbA1c (8.96 %-7.70 %, p < 0.001), but no improvement in anthropometric measures, and a significant decline in quality of life (p = 0.001). Conclusions:The study concluded that mHealth intervention significantly improved glycemic control, blood pressure, waist circumference, and quality of life, highlighting its potential as an effective tool for diabetes selfmanagement in resource-limited settings.