There were three reported  deaths out of 3578 participants .Computer-based  diabetes self-management interventions currently have limited effectiveness .
Current interventions do not show adequate evidence for improving depression , health-related quality of life or weight .
AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS Computer-based diabetes self-management interventions to manage type 2 diabetes appear to have a small beneficial effect on blood glucose control and the effect was larger in the mobile phone subgroup .
There is no evidence to show benefits in other biological outcomes or any cognitive , behavioural or emotional outcomes
BACKGROUND Diabetes is one of the commonest chronic medical conditions , affecting around 347 million adults worldwide .
Structured patient education programmes reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications four-fold .
Internet-based self-management programmes have been shown to be effective for a number of long-term conditions , but it is unclear what are the essential or effective components of such programmes .
If computer-based self-management interventions improve outcomes in type 2 diabetes , they could potentially provide a cost-effective option for reducing the burdens placed on patients and healthcare systems by this long-term condition .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects on health status and health-related quality of life of computer-based diabetes self-management interventions for adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus .
Continued use of an integrated meter with electronic logbook maintains improvements in glycemic control beyond a randomized, controlled trial.
BACKGROUND Blood glucose monitoring is an important component of diabetes self-management for individuals with insulin-treated diabetes . Although patient-maintained logbooks are routinely used , glucose values may be inaccurately recorded or not recorded at all . Electronic logbooks may help overcome such problems . We conducted a r and omized , controlled trial ( RCT ) to compare glycemic control in insulin-treated participants using  integrated glucose meters and electronic logbooks ( Electronic Group ) with participants using conventional meters and paper logbooks ( Paper Group ) , and to determine persistence of glycemic improvements during long-term observational follow-up . METHODS After a 4-week run-in , adult and pediatric participants ( n = 205 ) with stable hemoglobin A(1C ) ( A1C ) > or=8.0 % were r and omized , and their logbook data and A1C were monitored every 4 weeks for 16 weeks . After the RCT , patients selected their monitoring systems and resumed usual care . The four result ing subgroups , defined by whether patients continued or changed monitoring systems , were reassessed after 26 - 65 weeks . RESULTS During the RCT , mean A1C decreased -0.27 % in the Paper Group and -0.35 % in the Electronic Group . Repeated- measures analysis revealed that the mean decrease was significantly greater in the Electronic than the Paper Group ( P = 0.022 ) . From r and omization through observational follow-up , participants consistently using integrated meters/logbooks had an A1C decrease of -0.36 % ( P = 0.008 ) , whereas participants using conventional meters/logbooks throughout or switching meters returned to pre-enrollment A1C levels . CONCLUSIONS Compared to conventional monitoring systems , use of an integrated meter and electronic logbook result ed in modest , but significant and sustained , improvement in A1C in insulin-treated patients with suboptimal glycemic control during an RCT and observational follow-up
There were three reported  deaths out of 3578 participants .Computer-based  diabetes self-management interventions currently have limited effectiveness .
Current interventions do not show adequate evidence for improving depression , health-related quality of life or weight .
AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS Computer-based diabetes self-management interventions to manage type 2 diabetes appear to have a small beneficial effect on blood glucose control and the effect was larger in the mobile phone subgroup .
There is no evidence to show benefits in other biological outcomes or any cognitive , behavioural or emotional outcomes
BACKGROUND Diabetes is one of the commonest chronic medical conditions , affecting around 347 million adults worldwide .
Structured patient education programmes reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications four-fold .
Internet-based self-management programmes have been shown to be effective for a number of long-term conditions , but it is unclear what are the essential or effective components of such programmes .
If computer-based self-management interventions improve outcomes in type 2 diabetes , they could potentially provide a cost-effective option for reducing the burdens placed on patients and healthcare systems by this long-term condition .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects on health status and health-related quality of life of computer-based diabetes self-management interventions for adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus .