mHealth Skill Enhancement Plus Phone CBT for Type 2 Diabetes Distress Medication Nonadherence: Pilot Study

mHealth Skill Enhancement Plus Phone CBT for Type 2 Diabetes Distress Medication Nonadherence: Pilot Study

mHealth Skill Enhancement Plus Phone CBT for Type 2 Diabetes Distress Medication Nonadherence: Pilot Study

This is a pilot study examining the clinical effects of a brief Cognitive Therapy phone approach augmented with a CBT smartphone app geared towards patients with type 2 diabetes patients in poor control.

A significant problem in primary care healthcare delivery is the lack of interventions to improve medication and overall regimen adherence in persons with Type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Diabetes distress, a negative response to the diagnosis of T2DM, danger of complications, and self-management burdens is present in up to 70% of persons with T2DM. Distress is a significant factor in medication nonadherence and poor glycemic control. Treatment adherence is vital to maintain glucose control and reduce complications. The literature has identified dysfunctional thinking patterns such as beliefs (e.g., I can't handle taking these medications), assumptions (e.g., I know I will have side effects to these medications) and interpretations (e.g., I'm too overwhelmed to do all of this stuff) as critical variables that impact both distress and T2DM treatment adherence. Current treatment strategies within primary care do not address the dysfunctional thinking patterns that affect the patient's distress level, T2DM medication adherence, and complex daily self-care activities. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), a well-established evidenced-based treatment, helps patients to identify, and restructure dysfunctional thinking patterns. The investigators propose to test a brief phone CBT approach that is supported by a comprehensive mobile phone CBT skills practice application (app) within primary care. The promising results of the investigators preliminary studies using a mobile phone app to stimulate real-time CBT skills practice prompt us to propose a pilot of its use with patients with T2DM with the following aims: Primary aim: examine feasibility and acceptability of the assessment protocol, and the recruitment, and retention of study participants. Secondary aim: 1) collect preliminary data on the effect of the intervention on clinical outcomes, e.g., self-reported adherence to medication and self-management adherence, e.g., diet, exercise; levels of diabetes distress, diabetes medication beliefs, and distal T2DM outcomes (HbA1c level and body mass index).

Following baseline, six 30-minute sessions of phone CBT to address any beliefs, assumptions, attitudes, or perceptions that are not constructive to diabetes self-management. CBT phone app will assist patients to practice skills related to improving self-management via more constructive ways of thinking.

Following baseline, patients will receive 8 weeks of phone CBT to address non-constructive beliefs, assumptions, attitudes or perceptions related to diabetes self-management. They will have a smartphone apps to practice CBT skills between sessions.

Following baseline, patients will receive 12 weeks of phone CBT to address non-constructive beliefs, assumptions, attitudes or perceptions related to diabetes self-management. They will have a smartphone apps to practice CBT skills between sessions.

Patients will remain in usual care and not receive study intervention. This will include usual diabetes care at PCP.

Therapists will work with patients to identify non-constructive thinking patterns that are serving as barriers to adequate self-management of Type 2 Diabetes.

The CSUQ measures feasibility and acceptability of the phone application. Adapted from Lewis JR.: IBM Computer Usability Satisfaction Questionnaires: Psychometric Evaluation and Instructions for Use. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction 1995; 7 (1):67-78. Scale is scored as a mean value, range is from 1 to 7. In this adaptation lower scores are better usability.

Electronically measured medication adherence, percent adherence over entire study phase. Change score was not evaluated, this measure is to determine feasability of use over time. Percent adherence is measured by the number of correct doses per day divided by the number of prescribed doses per day X 100. Percent adherence was calculated as the percentage of the prescribed doses of the medication actually taken by the patient over 16 weeks

Levels of diabetes distress per standardized questionnaire will be measured before intervention and after intervention. Percent change of mean score between baseline and 16 weeks is reported. Adapted from Fisher, L., Glasgow, R.E., Mullan, J.T., Skaff, M.M., Polonsky, W.H. (2008) Development of a Brief Diabetes Screening Instrument. Annals of Family Medicine; 6:246-252.

Inclusion Criteria: have a diagnosis of T2DM; have a score of >3 on the Diabetes Distress Scale; be taking at least one oral antihyperglycemic agent (the patient may also be using injectable antihyperglycemic medications, including insulin); have an HbA1c level of greater than 8 at baseline; be receiving treatment for T2DM in the primary care setting; be aged 30 - 65 years and be able to read at the 8th-grade level and to provide informed consent. - Exclusion Criteria: diagnosis of bipolar disorder or schizophrenia; primary diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, or dependence in the last 6 months; or any psychotic disorder; diabetes treated without oral medications; inability to read or comprehend English at the 8th-grade level; refusal to provide informed consent; dementia or disorders with substantial cognitive impairment; and serious suicidal risk -