Evaluation of an online education and support intervention for adolescents with diabetes.

ABSTRACT

The current study evaluated an online education and support website intervention for adolescents with Type 1 diabetes. Participants were enrolled in an 8-week, online program addressing diabetes-related issues for adolescents. The evaluation comprised an intervention trial in which participants were assigned to an intervention or control group, and pre- and post-intervention measures of social support were administered. Outcomes indicated interventional gains approaching significance in participants' quality of relationships with others external to their family. Post-intervention qualitative interviews with intervention group participants identified beneficial impacts of decreased isolation, knowledge gain, and normalization of experience. Findings suggest that online information and support is an important resource in augmenting clinical care. Implications and recommendations for clinical practice are discussed.