Impact of innovative technologies on the lives of adult diabetics: An integrative review

Abstract

Objective: to review research articles with a view to examining the impact of innovative technologies on the lives of adult diabetics. Method: this integrative review of production found in the MEDLINE, CINAHL, LILACS, Web of Science, Springer Link and SciELO and PubMed electronic libraries included randomized clinical trials in Portuguese, English or Spanish published between 2012 and 2016. Results: of the 669 publications identified, 12 formed the sample, in which 11 different technologies were identified, ranging from the use of smartphone applications, pharmacotherapies, and monitoring devices to specialized interventions. Most impacted the lives of diabetics beneficially towards effectively controlling metabolic and glycated hemoglobin levels, reducing episodes of hyper-or hypoglycemia, increasing treatment adherence, and so on, while only one displayed adverse effects. Conclusion: there is a need for improved technologies, as well as for studies with more accurate research designs and more robust research methods.