2014-P: Usability and Clinical Impact of a Digital Framework for Identifying Potential Herb–Drug Interactions in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes

Introduction and Objective: Herbal and traditional products are frequently used with glucose-lowering medicines and can add safety risks that may not be discussed in the clinic. Most decision-support resources do not cover common herb-drug combinations. Objective: To assess the usability, acceptability, and clinical impact of a point-of-care digital tool to help identify and discuss potential herb-drug interactions in adults with type 2 diabetes. Methods: Multicenter mixed-methods study in four diabetes clinics. Adults with type 2 diabetes using ≥1 herbal/traditional supplement (n=120) and clinicians (n=32) used the tool during routine visits over 4 weeks. Usability was measured with the System Usability Scale (SUS). Clinician confidence, perceived usefulness, and trust in the interaction summaries were rated on 5-point Likert scales. Patient understanding and disclosure were assessed pre/post. Workflow outcomes included time to recognize a potential interaction and the proportion of encounters where counseling, monitoring, or therapy was adjusted. Results: Usability was high (SUS: clinicians 84.6±7.9; patients 81.2±9.1). Clinician confidence increased (3.1→4.5/5). Mean time to recognize a potential interaction fell from 3.8±1.2 to 1.1±0.6 minutes. Patient disclosure of herbal/traditional use rose from 46% to 78%, and patients reported greater comfort discussing these products. Clinicians changed counselling, monitoring, or therapy in 41% of encounters, most often to address hypoglycemia risk, additive glucose-lowering effects, or metabolic interactions. Conclusion: In routine diabetes visits, this digital tool was easy to use and supported faster recognition of potential herb-drug issues, more open disclosure, and safety-focused care adjustments. Disclosure A. Modi: None. B. Saboo: None. H. Hirani: None. S. Samajdar: None.