The Potential Role of Social Media and Interactive Technologies in Diabetes Education

Over time, technological innovations emerge and, with them, new and creative ways for patients to connect, and these new ways of connecting are inevitably becoming part of the health care environment [1,2]. The internet and information technology offer new opportunities for diabetes education and care, and this technology is becoming increasingly important in the everyday lives of patients and health professionals. Using the internet sources (social networking, websites, and message boards), people with diabetes can connect with one another to address the challenges they face with the Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support [2-4]. Other affordable tools are available to those with mobile devices (e.g., mobile phones and tablets), which include podcasts, mobile-optimized websites and mobile apps [5], Skype [6], digital games [7] and video games designed to improve and support players' diabetes self-management [8]. Glucometer and insulin pump software are also one of the frequently used technologies among diabetes patients. On the internet people can talk and learn about appropriate and safe use of these new technologies [4,9,10]. However, sites vary considerably in their quality and the authenticity of their content, which can be very dangerous for both diabetes patients and careless students of health courses. Additionally, patients can be confused by the amount of information and number of technologies available for diabetes education, which may lead to disappointment and the discontinuation of any diabetes selfmanagement actions.