A Pilot Randomized Trial of Text-Messaging for Symptom Awareness and Diabetes Knowledge in Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes

•Text-messaging on symptom awareness and knowledge is acceptable by teens with T1D.•Quality of life improved for adolescents receiving daily text messages.•Text messaging information between visits can be useful to health care providers during clinic visits.

Adolescents with type 1 diabetes typically receive clinical care every 3 months. Between visits, diabetes-related issues may not be frequently reflected, learned, and documented by the patients, limiting their self-awareness and knowledge about their condition. We designed a text-messaging system to help resolve this problem. In a pilot, randomized controlled trial with 30 adolescents, we examined the effect of text messages about symptom awareness and diabetes knowledge on glucose control and quality of life. The intervention group that received more text messages between visits had significant improvements in quality of life.