Personal digital health apps for managing diabetes should include functions that enable the provision of pharmaceutical care services and allow within-app communication with pharmacists and other healthcare providers, thereby improving patient outcomes. The primary aim of this study was to assess the functions of diabetes apps that were relevant to providing pharmaceutical care services (i.e., medication management, adherence, non-pharmacological management, interoperability, and communication). Sixteen criteria related to pharmaceutical care were developed and then used to assess ten popular diabetes apps. The highest numbers of pharmaceutical care criteria were met by the apps Diabetes:M and mySugr (11 criteria); Contour™Diabetes, Dario Health, and OneTouch Reveal^® (ten); and DiabetesConnect and ESYSTA (nine); followed by Glucose Buddy (eight), meala (seven), and lumind (three). The most prevalent functions were related to promoting adherence and non-pharmacological management, but most criteria relevant to medication management were lacking. Five apps allowed within-app communication between patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs); however, no app included communication with pharmacists. High-quality diabetes apps are powerful tools to support pharmaceutical care and remotely monitor diabetes patients. Improvements are needed as they often lack many medication management functions, including within-app communication with HCPs (especially pharmacists). To maximize diabetes app use and improve outcomes, app developers should consider including pharmacists alongside other healthcare providers when customizing app designs.

Obarcanin E, Ali-Sherazi B, Dabidian A, Schlottau S, Deters MA, Läer S. Introducing m-Health and Digital Diabetes Apps in Clinical Pharmacy Education in Germany. J Diabetes Clin Res. 2022;4(1):17-19.

Background: A 2016 meta-analysis of pharmaceutical care for patients with diabetes mellitus showed that the following four components were most effective: (a) individual goal setting, (b) sending feedback to the physician, (c) reviewing the medication, and (d) reviewing blood glucose measurements. Methods: To formulate a hypothesis regarding the effect of these four pharmaceutical care components on glycemic control in patients with diabetes mellitus and the feasibility of these components in practice. Ten patients with type 2 diabetes were included in the case series and received medication therapy management over four months. Results: The four care components were feasible in everyday practice and could be implemented within one patient visit. The average visits were 49 and 28 min at the beginning and end of the study, respectively. The glycated hemoglobin values did not change over the study period, though the fasting blood glucose decreased from 142 to 120 mg/dl, and the number of unsolved drug-related problems decreased from 6.9 to 1.9 per patient by the study end. Conclusions: This case series supports the hypothesis that community pharmacists can implement structured pharmaceutical care in everyday pharmacy practice for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

To enhance the digital competencies of pharmacy students, the Institute of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacotherapy at Heinrich-Heine University Duesseldorf developed and evaluated a theoretical module on digital health and data analysis. This innovative module integrated a continuous glucose-monitoring (CGM) wearable device into teaching, providing students with in-depth practical experience and a 2.5 h seminar on digital health and CGM systems. Students’ knowledge of CGM and self-assessment of their CGM competencies were assessed in a pre-post manner. Additionally, students’ satisfaction with the module and their perceptions of the future integration of digital health training and the role of wearables in pharmacy practice were also assessed after the module. A total of 39 final-year pharmacy students completed the module conducted in June 2024 as part of the clinical pharmacy seminar. In total, 32 students completed the pre- and post-knowledge tests and self-assessment questionnaires. Both the knowledge and the students’ self-assessment of CGM-related skills after the module increased significantly (p < 0.05). Students expanded their knowledge regarding digital health solutions, in particular the CGM systems, and increased their self-reported competence in CGM-related skills. With this module, an important foundation was laid, as this is the first theoretical module including the essentials of CGM digital health tools for pharmacy students in Germany.

Background: Elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol is one of the major modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Lipid management is integral to primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, but undermined by high prevalence of non-adherence to lipid-lowering medications. Innovative, personalized multicomponent interventions may address the gaps in medication non-adherence. We aim to evaluate the effectiveness of a human coach-supported digital personal health assistant (mobile health app) intervention in improving adherence to statins in adults with hyperlipidaemia. Methods: AdLip is a multicentre, open-label, parallel, two-arms, randomized controlled trial aiming to recruit a minimum of 376 adult participants who are non-adherent to statins from primary care ambulatory clinic setting in Singapore. Participants recruited will be randomly assigned (1:1) to human-coach supported mobile health app intervention or control group. The primary outcome will be adherence to statins at 6 months, measured by Medication Adherence Report Scale-5. Secondary outcomes will include change in serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, health motivation and attitudes, self-efficacy, self-care behaviours, quality of life, app acceptability, user engagement, and cost-effectiveness. Outcomes will be analysed using intention-to-treat approach. Discussion: The AdLip trial will provide empirical evidence on a multicomponent approach to the long-standing challenge of suboptimal adherence to statins in a multi-ethnic Asian setting. Findings from this study may inform a more personalized approach to addressing non-adherence in the short term, and how it relates to cardiovascular disease prevention in the longer term. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06614049 .

Mobile health (mHealth) apps are widely used for noncommunicable disease prevention and self-management. However, their effectiveness and safety are undermined by substantial variation in content quality. Existing guiding frameworks primarily focus on user interface, functionality, and intervention delivery, with limited emphasis on content creation. In this viewpoint, we introduce Systematic and Collaborative Approach to Learning and Educational Content Development (SCALED), a conceptual framework designed to guide a systematic, collaborative, and evidence-based approach to mHealth educational content development, intended for app developers, researchers, health care providers, and the wider mHealth community. Developed and refined across 3 phases, the SCALED framework consists of 11 components organized into 3 sequential stages: planning and conceptualization, development of textual content, and finalization into delivery format. We discuss the rationale behind each component and illustrate its applicability through 2 mHealth use cases. The framework integrates real-world experience from the development of 3 mHealth apps, qualitative findings from 2 studies, and insights from key stakeholders. By offering a structured and replicable methodology for content development, SCALED addresses a critical gap in current mHealth frameworks and provides a practical guide to improve content veracity, with potential for adaptation across a range of medical conditions.