Long‐term follow‐up of a randomized controlled trial of a text‐message diabetes self‐management support programme, SMS4BG

AIMS: To determine the long‐term effectiveness of an individually tailored text‐message diabetes self‐management support programme, SMS4BG, on glycaemic control at 2 years in adults with diabetes with an HbA(1c) concentration > 64 mmol/mol (8%). METHODS: We conducted a 2‐year follow‐up of a two‐arm, parallel, randomized controlled trial across health services in New Zealand. Participants were English‐speaking adults with type 1 or 2 diabetes and with an HbA(1c) >64 mmol/mol (8%). In the main trial participants randomized to the intervention group (N=183) received up to 9 months of an automated tailored text‐message programme in addition to usual care. Participants in the control group (N=183) received usual care for 9 months. In this follow‐up study, 293 (80%) of 366 randomized participants in the main trial were included. The primary outcome measure was change in glycaemic control (HbA(1c)) from baseline to 2 years. Mixed‐effect models were used to compare the group differences at 3, 6, 9 and 24 months, adjusted for baseline HbA(1c) and stratification factors (health district category, diabetes type and ethnicity). RESULTS: The decrease in HbA(1c) at 2 years was significantly greater in the intervention group [mean (sd) –10 (18) mmol/mol or –0.9 (1.6)%] compared with the control group [mean (sd) –1 (20) mmol/mol or –0.1 (1.8)%], with an adjusted mean difference of –9 mmol/mol (95% CI –14, –5) or –0.8% (95% CI –1.2, –0.4; P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Improvements in glycaemic control resulting from a text‐message diabetes self‐management support programme were sustained at 2 years after randomization. These findings support the implementation of SMS4BG in current practice.