ORLANDO, Fla. — Personalized text message interventions that incorporate the use of emojis and memes are more likely to engage adolescents with type 1 diabetes than automated messages, particularly for those who struggle with low diabetes self-management, according to a speaker here.

Few pediatric patients meet the recommendations for glycemic control, and adolescents and emerging adults are at high risk for elevated HbA1c and repeated episodes of diabetic ketoacidosis, David V. Wagner, PhD, assistant professor of pediatrics at Oregon Health and Science University School of Medicine, said at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions. Most available behavioral interventions for this population, he said, have several limitations: they tend to be office-based and are relatively infrequent, especially in an age of near-constant communication. Interventions that incorporate text messages are a proven way to engage teens in their diabetes management and even improve outcomes, although texting, too, has its challenges, he said.