Effects of a Novel Blood Glucose Forecasting Feature on Glycemic Management and Logging in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Using One Drop: Retrospective Cohort Study

Background Personalized feedback is an effective behavior change technique frequently incorporated into mobile health (mHealth) apps. Innovations in data science create opportunities for leveraging the wealth of user data accumulated by mHealth apps to generate personalized health forecasts. One Drop’s digital program is one of the first to implement blood glucose forecasts for people with type 2 diabetes. The impact of these forecasts on behavior and glycemic management has not been evaluated to date. Objective This study sought to evaluate the impact of exposure to blood glucose forecasts on blood glucose logging behavior, average blood glucose, and percentage of glucose points in range. Methods This retrospective cohort study examined people with type 2 diabetes who first began using One Drop to record their blood glucose between 2019 and 2021. Cohorts included those who received blood glucose forecasts and those who did not receive forecasts. The cohorts were compared to evaluate the effect of exposure to blood glucose forecasts on logging activity, average glucose, and percentage of glucose readings in range, after controlling for potential confounding factors. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and regression analyses. Results Data from a total of 1411 One Drop users with type 2 diabetes and elevated baseline glucose were analyzed. Participants (60.6% male, 795/1311; mean age 50.2 years, SD 11.8) had diabetes for 7.1 years on average (SD 7.9). After controlling for potential confounding factors, blood glucose forecasts were associated with more frequent blood glucose logging (P=.004), lower average blood glucose (P<.001), and a higher percentage of readings in range (P=.03) after 12 weeks. Blood glucose logging partially mediated the relationship between exposure to forecasts and average glucose. Conclusions Individuals who received blood glucose forecasts had significantly lower average glucose, with a greater amount of glucose measurements in a healthy range after 12 weeks compared to those who did not receive forecasts. Glucose logging was identified as a partial mediator of the relationship between forecast exposure and week-12 average glucose, highlighting a potential mechanism through which glucose forecasts exert their effect. When administered as a part of a comprehensive mHealth program, blood glucose forecasts may significantly improve glycemic management among people living with type 2 diabetes.