Abstract
Background and Aims: The accurate estimation of food carbohydrates (CHO) is essential for computing meal insulin doses and achieving optimal blood glucose (BG) control in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). We developed EKIYOU, a smartphone app that automatically computes CHO content of declared food intakes. We assessed the outcomes of its use in a pilot one‐month study.Methods: Seventeen adults with T1D, under basal‐bolus insulin regimen, with variable skills in flexible insulin therapy received EKIYOU application for one month. The app's CHO counting (CC) function was active and patients relied on their own bolus estimation. TIR, TBR and TAR values based on 14‐day CGM were compared between inclusion and after 1 month app use to evaluate the benefits of using EKIYOU for CC.Results: Fifteen patients (age: 47 ± 10, 5 using CSII and 10 MDI, HbA1c: 7.7 ± 0.5 %) completed the study. The participants entered 2.5 meals per day in EKIYOU. TIR increased from 53.86% to 61.06%. TAR decreased by 7.91% with no increase of TBR. Those having a pump bolus calculator increased TIR by 7.7%. 80% of patients expressed their satisfaction with the application and found that it helped them with complex meals.Conclusions: Our data suggests that CC through EKIYOU can improve BG control. Patients felt satisfied and found EKIYOU easy‐to‐use and relieving. All patients succeeded to use the application even without previous CC education.