Are patients with diabetes mellitus satisfied with technologies used to assist with diabetes management and coping?: A structured review.

Modern technological devices supporting coping and management for patients with diabetes are increasingly popular and could be important healthcare tools. This review aimed to evaluate patient satisfaction and perceptions regarding these devices, examples of which include short message service reminder systems, online educational programs, and clinician-patient electronic communication. Therapy devices such as continuous glucose monitors and continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion pumps are not included in this review. Embase, Psychinfo, Medline, CINAHL, and gray literature databases were searched for "diabetes mellitus," "technical device," "patient satisfaction," and their synonyms. This review was carried out according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement guidelines. The search produced 1,902 studies, 26 of which were included in the review: type 1 diabetes mellitus (eight studies), type 2 diabetes mellitus (nine studies), and both (nine studies). High satisfaction was seen with almost all devices and correlated strongly with ease of use and improved diabetes management. Satisfaction was not affected by participant age, and the effect of diabetes type was not assessed. Web devices were reported as easiest to use. Increased support was valued and resulted from devices facilitating interaction with healthcare professionals (HCPs) or peers. Technical difficulties were barriers to both use and satisfaction. Overall, patients enjoyed supplementing their usual therapy with these devices. Perceived support from HCPs or peers formed an important aspect of patient satisfaction and should be considered for future interventions.