Integrating E-Health in Diabetes Management in Middle East and North Africa: a Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Diabetes is a major healthcare burden in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. E-health tools can contribute to the management of diabetes with improved education, monitoring, and care outcomes.

Objective: The objective of this review is to evaluate the effectiveness of E-health interventions on the improvement of diabetes management and health outcomes in patients with diabetes in the MENA region.

Methods: Peer-reviewed articles from PubMed, Embase, and Medline were identified using various combinations of predefined terms and search criteria. The main inclusion criteria consisted of assessing the utility of e-health tools (mobile apps and communication networks) for the management of type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in any of the MENA countries.

Results: The review included 15 articles evaluating the use of e-health tools in the management of diabetes in the MENA region. The included studies assessed the effect of various interventions (mobile health applications, short messaging system (SMS), and WhatsApp) on three main outcomes (hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), fasting blood glucose (FBG), and knowledge). Most of the studies reported that interventions were successful in reducing HbA1c and FBG and increasing patients’ knowledge. However, the quality of evidence in the majority of the included studies was moderate.

Conclusion: E-Health technologies show potential for managing diabetes in the Arab world, but further research with better design and execution is needed. The nursing sector in Lebanon should play a key role in these studies.