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Internet-based incentives increase blood glucose testing with a non-adherent, diverse sample of teens with type 1 diabetes mellitus: a randomized controlled Trial

  • Original Research
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Translational Behavioral Medicine

An Erratum to this article was published on 20 May 2016

Abstract

Non-adherence with self-monitoring blood glucose (SMBG) among teenagers with type 1 diabetes can be a problem. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of using Internet-based incentives to improve adherence with SMBG in non-adherent teenagers. Participants were randomly assigned to contingent (CS; N = 23), where they had to meet web camera-verified SMBG goals to earn incentives, or non-contingent (NS) groups (N = 18), where they earned incentives independent of adherence. Brief motivational interviewing (MI) was given prior to the intervention. Attrition was 15 % in the CS group. Participants and parents endorsed the intervention on all intervention dimensions. Daily SMBG increased after one MI session, and further increased when incentives were added, but significantly more for so for older participants. SMBG declined slowly over time, but only returned to baseline levels for younger NS participants. Internet-based incentive interventions are feasible, acceptable, and show promise for improving adherence with SMBG.

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Author information

Author notes

  1. Victoria B. Barrry PsyD

    Present address: Department of Pediatrics/ Family Care Center, Harlem Hospital Center, New York, NY, 10037, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, USA

    Bethany R. Raiff PhD

  2. Center for Technology and Health, National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., New York, NY, 10010, USA

    Victoria B. Barrry PsyD

  3. Research Triangle Institutes, Durham, NC, 12194, USA

    Ty A. Ridenour PhD

  4. Institute for Biobehavioral Health Research, National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., Leawood, KS, 66224, USA

    Natinee Jitnarin PhD

Authors
  1. Bethany R. Raiff PhD
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  2. Victoria B. Barrry PsyD
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  3. Ty A. Ridenour PhD
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  4. Natinee Jitnarin PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bethany R. Raiff PhD.

Ethics declarations

Participants under 18 completed assent and parental/guardian consent. Parents who only spoke Spanish were given translated consent and assessment forms. Institutional review boards for both the research institute conducting the study and the hospital at which the study was conducted approved all procedures.

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Implications

Practice: Technology-delivered incentives can be used to increase adherence with blood glucose monitoring in teenagers with type 1 diabetes.

Policy: Policymakers who want to decrease the incidence of diabetes-related health complications should explore sustainable incentive-based interventions to increase adherence with medical regimens that could be implemented wide scale.

Research: Future research should be aimed at identifying procedures for delivering incentive-based interventions that can be sustained and maintained for long periods of time.

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Raiff, B.R., Barrry, V.B., Ridenour, T.A. et al. Internet-based incentives increase blood glucose testing with a non-adherent, diverse sample of teens with type 1 diabetes mellitus: a randomized controlled Trial. Behav. Med. Pract. Policy Res. 6, 179–188 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13142-016-0397-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13142-016-0397-5

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