Older people ‘prevented from using diabetes management apps by technophobia’

Older diabetes patients may not be getting the benefit of using diabetes management apps due to a lack of confidence in their ability to use technology.

A University of Waterloo study, published in the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, has suggested that although more than 90 percent of research participants owned a computer or had daily internet access, just 18 percent used apps to help manage their diabetes.

Moreover, almost half owned smartphones, but only five percent used them to control their disease. A strong association between age and confidence was noted, with faith in technology dropping off in the oldest age groups.

Despite this, the majority of study participants felt that adopting internet or smartphone applications to manage their diabetes was a good idea.

Professor Peter Hall of the faculty of applied health sciences at the University of Waterloo said: "My hope is that we can find ways to encourage adoption of these new self-management tools, even among those older adults who don't consider themselves to be especially tech-savvy."

In 2010, there were approximately 3.1 million people aged 16 or over with diabetes in England. This is expected to rise to 4.6 million by 2030.