Digital Photography as an Educational Food Logging Tool in Obese Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Lessons Learned From a Randomized, Crossover Pilot Trial

PurposeThe purpose of this pilot study is to investigate the utility of, and areas of refinement for, digital photography as an educational tool for food logging in obese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM).MethodsThirty-three patients aged 18 to 70 with T2DM, body mass index at least 30 kg/m2, and A1C 7.5% to 9% were recruited from an endocrinology clinic and randomized to a week of food logging using a digital camera (DC) or paper diary (PD), crossing over for week 2. Patients then viewed a presentation about dietary effects on blood glucose, using patient DC and blood glucose entries. Outcomes of adherence (based on number of weekly entries), changes in mean blood glucose and frequency of blood glucose checks, and patient satisfaction were compared between methods. Patient feedback on the DC intervention and presentation was also analyzed.ResultsThirty patients completed the study. Adherence was identical across methods. The mean difference in number of entries was not significant between methods. Thi...