MyDESMOND Retention Data Sets the Bar
Half of people with type 2 diabetes still engaged on Mydesmond after a month, new data reveals
More than 50 per cent of people with type 2 diabetes who registered on the MyDESMOND self-directed digital self-management programme remain on it for a month; the best reported data in this field thus far, highlighting the viability of this sustainable online education programme and an important breakthrough in supporting people living with type 2 diabetes.
New findings from the Leicester Diabetes Centre (LDC) have found that 56 per cent of the 9,522 MyDESMOND users were still engaging with the digital health intervention four weeks after joining the programme. You can download the publication here.
Prior studies have reported that the average one-month retention rate of HeLP-Diabetes was only nine (9) per cent, while around a third of people remained on GlucoNote for a month.
LDC’s findings also show that more than 17 per cent of people with type 2 diabetes who registered on MyDESMOND between 2018 and 2020 continued to use the programme for at least 12 months.
These findings are not only positive for people with type 2 diabetes, but also for diabetes teams who are faced with delivering in-person education among other growing clinical demands following the impact of the pandemic.
Digital health interventions, like MyDESMOND, can improve the physical and psychosocial health of people living with type 2 diabetes; however, research investigating the long-term retention and engagement of users within these programmes is limited, experts have said.
Alison Northern, Implementation Lead from the Leicester Diabetes Centre, said: “This is the first step in us understanding the long term sustainability of an evidence-based digital programme.
“The findings underscore the immense potential of a well-developed and tested interactive and informative online education, firmly establishing its viability as a powerful tool in healthcare.”
She added: “MyDESMOND has proven to be more than just a digital platform; it serves as a source of confidence for people, empowering them to take charge of their diabetes self-management.
“These results reaffirm our belief in the power of technology to positively impact healthcare outcomes, and we look forward to further advancements in the field of online education and health management.”
The results show that 5,360 of the participants remained on the programme for at least one month, while 1,676 used the digital health intervention for at least a year.
MyDESMOND’s innovative design keeps users interacting and engaging with the digital platform, according to the LDC Digital team.
The features included in the programme consist of educational content, booster sessions in the first 10 weeks, chat forums, physical activity challenges, an ask the expert function and trackers for key health measures and physical activity.
Professor Melanie Davies CBE, Co-Director of LDC, said: “The success of the MyDESMOND programme lies in its innovative design, which has now been shown to effectively keep people living with type 2 diabetes engaged in their journey towards better health.
“By providing individuals with convenient access to world-renowned advice from the team at the LDC, MyDESMOND ensures that support is just fingertips away.”
She added: “The platform’s captivating features continually draw people back, making it a digital space that users truly value, embrace and retain.”
Launched in 2018, MyDESMOND has been designed to support self-management and prevention of type 2 diabetes through digital means to fit around modern lifestyles.
Primarily developed with mobile use in mind, MyDESMOND is a responsive website that can be used on smartphones, tablets, laptops and PCs.
It was developed by the multidisciplinary team at the LDC to fill an unmet need for a digital self-management education programme for people with type 2 diabetes.
Mel Smith was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2018. He said: “It is the best thing since bread and butter. It’s a programme that very quickly and easily gives you the information you need.
“It’s not full of all the technical medical jargon. It’s in easy, simple language that you can understand.”
The 69-year-old added: “It is a programme that you can use to your benefit and it will make life a lot easier for you going forward. If every other part of the NHS could have the same sort of programme, it would be brilliant.”
Prior published data shows that MyDESMOND was widely used during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing people with a place to go to find out information, have their concerns addressed and access avenues of support without needing to leave their home.
Throughout the pandemic, the programme was made freely available across the UK and uptake increased by 400 per cent in a month, with more than 10,000 people registering during this time.
Alison said: “MyDESMOND filled an unmet need during the COVID-19 pandemic for those who could not attend face-to-face education or easily access healthcare professional support. Its use has continued to grow since with almost 40,000 registered users now. ”