Computer-Assisted Self-Control of Diabetes by Adolescents

Abstract

This paper reports an experi mental investigation of the microcomputer-based system, Diabetes in Self-Cantral (DISC), used to facilitate adolescents' self- management of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Twenty 12- to 19-year-old subjects were matched into 10 pairs and randomly assigned to DISC or conventional education (CE). Following a no-treatment phase, information about diabetes and self-monitoring was presented during 7 weeks ofphase 2 by means of computer-assisted instruction for the DISC group and printed materials for the CE group. During the 8 weeks of phase 3, DISC subjects received training on monitoring the relationships among variables, diabetes problem solving, and goal setting. Improvement that was both statistically and clini cally significant was noted in the DISCgroup's prelunch and dinner glucose levels. The DISC group showed clinical improvement in frequency of blood glucose testing. Finally, DISC subjects reported more behavioral change as a function of what was learned.