The Impact of ICT on Health Promotion: A Randomized Experiment with Diabetic Patients

This paper summarizes a randomized experiment to study the effects of an Internet-based intervention on type 2 diabetes patients in Montevideo, Uruguay. A specially designed website and electronic social network allowed participants to navigate freely, download materials, and interact with other diabetics and specialists. No significant impact was found on participants' knowledge, behavior, or health outcomes. Only a minority of patients logged on to the website, and most were only reached by email and mobile text (SMS). Patients' gender, marital status, and education influenced their participation on the website.