The College of Pharmacy discussed the PhD dissertation entitled “Evaluation of Mobile Technology and Video Consultations Effectiveness on Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, in Baghdad, Iraq. An Educational-Interventional Study ”by the student Zahraa Falah Hasan and the supervisor, Assistant Professor Dr. Fadya Yaqoob Alhamadani ,at the clinical pharmacy Department , and the cousltant Dr,Anmar Thiaa Al-deen/ Endocrinology and Diabetes Center at the clinical pharmacy Department.
The study aimed to evaluate the clinical and behavioral effectiveness of a two-component mobile health intervention that combined a specially designed Arabic-language mobile application, “Diabetes Management,” with structured pharmacist-led remote consultations to improve glycemic control and self-care management among adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Iraq.
The study included a randomized controlled trial conducted at the Diabetes and Endocrinology Center in Baghdad. The intervention group used the mobile application and received remote consultations via WhatsApp every two weeks, provided by a clinical pharmacist. The primary outcome was glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels. Secondary outcomes included changes in blood pressure, anthropometric and renal parameters, medication adherence, self-care behaviors, and program usability.
The results showed that the absolute reduction in HbA1c within the intervention group was clinically significant, decreasing from a mean of 10.0% to 8.5%. The intervention also resulted in a significant improvement in cardiovascular risk factors, with mean systolic blood pressure decreasing from 133.34 to 125.75 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure decreasing from 88.97 to 81.08 mmHg. This dual metabolic and hemodynamic control successfully helped preserve renal function in the intervention group over the six-month period. Behaviorally, the intervention eliminated intentional and potentially harmful medication non-adherence and successfully established safe “sick-day rules.”
The study recommended developing a centralized mobile application to bridge the communication gap between physicians in specialized endocrinology centers, pharmacists, and patients. The platform should include clinical features such as easy appointment scheduling, secure electronic access to laboratory test results, and direct communication with clinical pharmacists to provide immediate, targeted medication education and medication-related health awareness.
