Digital Discharge Planning to Improve Self-Management in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases worldwide and requires long-term self-management to maintain glycemic control and prevent complications. Effective discharge planning plays an important role in preparing patients to manage their condition independently after leaving the hospital. However, in many clinical settings, discharge planning is often delivered verbally and without structured follow-up, which may limit patients' ability to maintain appropriate self-management behaviors.

This study develops and evaluates a digital discharge planning model delivered through a mobile application to support patients with diabetes mellitus after hospital discharge. The intervention is theoretically grounded in the Chronic Care Model and supported by nursing theories including Orem's Self-Care Deficit Theory, Watson's Human Caring Theory, and Pender's Health Promotion Model.

The mobile application includes several features designed to support diabetes self-management based on the Diabetes Canada framework, including healthy eating, physical activity, blood glucose monitoring, medication adherence, problem solving, reducing risks, and healthy coping. The application provides educational materials, reminders, daily activity tracking, and feedback to encourage patient engagement and adherence to self-management practices.

A randomized controlled trial with a parallel-group design will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention group receiving digital discharge planning through the mobile application or the control group receiving standard discharge planning provided by the hospital. The intervention period will last for 90 days following hospital discharge. The study will assess the impact of the digital discharge planning model on self-management behaviors, glycemic control, and hospital readmission among patients with diabetes mellitus.

Inclusion criteria

• Patients diagnosed with diabetes mellitus.
• Age 18 years or older.
• Hospitalized patients who are preparing for discharge.
• Able to use a smartphone and access the mobile application.
• Willing to participate and provide informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

• Patients with severe complications requiring intensive care.
• Patients with cognitive impairment or severe mental illness that may interfere with participation.
• Patients who are unable to operate a smartphone or mobile application.
• Patients who decline to participate in the study.