Effects of consumer-oriented health information technologies in diabetes management over time: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Abstract

Objective: To reveal the effects of consumer-oriented health information technologies (CHITs) on patient outcomes in diabetes management over time through systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: We searched 5 electronic databases (from database inception to July 2016) for studies that reported on randomized controlled trials examining the effects of CHITs on glycemic control and other patient outcomes in diabetes management. Data were analyzed using either meta-analysis or a narrative synthesis approach. Results: Eighty randomized controlled trial studies, representing 87 individual trials, were identified and included for analysis. Overall, the meta-analysis showed that the use of CHITs resulted in significant improvement in glycemic control compared to usual care (standardized mean difference=-0.31%, 95% confidence interval =0.38 to -0.23, P