Evaluation of a Mobile Application Designed to Support Type 1 Diabetic Patients in Adjusting Their Insulin Doses.

Overview

Title: Evaluating a Mobile Application for Insulin Management in Iraqi Type 1 Diabetes Patients. The goal of this clinical trial is to determine whether a mobile health application can improve insulin management and blood sugar control in Iraqi patients with Type 1 Diabetes aged over 15 years who are on intensive insulin therapy. The main question it aims to answer is: Does the use of the mobile application lead to a greater reduction in HbA1c levels compared to standard care alone? Researchers will compare the group using the mobile application to the group receiving standard care alone to see if the application is more effective at improving glycemic control. Participants will: Be randomly assigned to one of two groups for the 3-month study. Either use the mobile application to guide their daily insulin dose adjustments alongside standard care, or receive standard care alone. Undergo blood tests (including HbA1c) and complete questionnaires about hypoglycemic events, insulin adherence, and quality of life.

Title: Evaluating a Mobile Application for Insulin Management in Iraqi Type 1 Diabetes Patients. 1.0 Study Design and Rationale This is a prospective, two-arm, randomized controlled clinical trial conducted at a specialized diabetes center in Iraq. The study is designed to evaluate the efficacy of a novel mobile health (mHealth) application, specifically developed for the Iraqi patient context, as an adjunctive tool for managing Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM). The rationale is to determine if algorithm-guided, patient-self-managed insulin adjustments facilitated by the app can lead to superior glycemic control compared to traditional physician-led dose adjustments alone. 2.0 Methodology 2.1 Randomization and Blinding: Participants will be allocated in a 1:1 ratio to either the intervention or control group. Allocation will be performed using a predefined alternation sequence based on the order of enrollment. Due to the nature of the intervention, participants cannot be blinded to their group assignment. However, outcome assessors and data analysts will be blinded to group allocation wherever possible. 2.2 Intervention: Intervention Group: Participants will use the investigational mobile application daily for 12 weeks. The application will prompt users to input data on dietary intake, physical activity, and pre-meal blood glucose levels. Based on these inputs and a pre-programmed algorithm, the app will provide a recommended insulin dose for the user to administer. This will be in addition to standard care. Control Group: Participants will continue to receive physician-led standard care for T1DM, which involves routine clinical follow-up and insulin dose adjustments as per the treating physician's discretion, without guidance from the mobile application. 2.3 Study Procedures and Timeline: The total study duration for each participant is 12 weeks. Baseline Visit (Week 0): Eligible participants will provide informed consent, undergo demographic and clinical data collection, fasting blood sugar, HbA1c testing, and complete baseline questionnaires (insulin adherence, QOLSID). Intervention Period (Weeks 1-12): The intervention group will use the mobile application. All participants will perform self-monitoring of blood glucose at least three times daily. Engagement and safety will be monitored through monthly structured telephone calls and ad-hoc WhatsApp communication for urgent queries. Endpoint Visit (Week 12): All baseline assessments will be repeated, including HbA1c measurement and questionnaire completion. Application usage data will be downloaded from the intervention group's devices. 3.0 Data Management and Statistical Analysis Data will be collected using standardized case report forms (CRFs) and entered into a secure electronic database. All analyses will be conducted on an intention-to-treat basis. The primary outcome (change in HbA1c) will be analyzed using an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), adjusting for baseline HbA1c. Secondary outcomes will be analyzed using appropriate parametric or non-parametric tests (e.g., t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, Chi-square tests). A p-value of \<0.05 will be considered statistically significant. 4.0 Safety Monitoring Adverse events, particularly hypoglycemic events (blood glucose \<70 mg/dL), will be actively monitored and recorded throughout the study. Any severe adverse events will be reported to the principal investigator and the institutional review board (IRB) within 24 hours.