A longitudinal perspective on user uptake of an electronic personal health record for diabetes, with respect to patient demographics: 10 years of My Diabetes My Way

Nicholas Thomas Conway, Michael Bluett, Cathy Shields, Andrew Taylor, Deborah J Wake, Scott G. Cunningham

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

Introduction
The growing prevalence of diabetes has increased the need for scalable technologies to improve outcomes. My Diabetes My Way (MDMW) is an electronic personal health record (ePHR) available to all people with diabetes in Scotland since 2010, associated with improved clinical outcomes amongst users. MDMW pulls data from a national clinician-facing informatics platform and provides self-management and educational information. This study aims to describe MDMW user demographics through time with respect to the national diabetes population, with a view to addressing potential health inequalities.
Methods
Aggregate data were obtained retrospectively from the MDMW database and annual Scottish Diabetes Survey (SDS) from 2010 -2020. Variables included diabetes type, sex, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity and glycaemic control. Prevalence of MDMW uptake was calculated using corresponding SDS data as denominators. Comparisons between years and demographic sub-groups were made using Chi Squared tests.
Results
Overall uptake of MDMW has steadily increased since implementation. By 2020, of all people with T1D or T2D in Scotland, 13% were fully enrolled to MDMW (39,881/312,326). There was proportionately greater numbers of users in younger, more affluent demographic groups (with a clear social gradient) with better glycaemic control. As uptake has increased through time, so too has the observed gaps between different demographic sub-groups.
Conclusion
The large number of MDMW users is encouraging, but remains a minority of people with diabetes in Scotland. There is a risk that innovations like MDMW can widen health inequalities and it is incumbent upon healthcare providers to identify strategies to prevent this.
Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Diabetes Science and Technology
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 17 Apr 2021

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