Blood sugar testing is the bane of every diabetic person's existence. My (former) father-in-law has diabetes and wears an insulin pump. He has to test his blood sugar multiple times each day, which he does by pricking his finger. He then wipes the blood onto a napkin.
If you go into his office at any given time, then you'll see a blood-spattered napkin lying by his computer keyboard. I'm not sure if he throws out the napkin daily, or if it's a multi-day accumulation of dried blood. All in all, it's pretty gross. The man obviously needs a new plan.
In a YouTube video, mySugr introduces its mySugr Companion app as a "charming and sometimes cheeky" blood sugar tracking app for iPhone. The cheekiness comes from the Diabetes Monster that lives on the homepage.
A diabetic person, for example, enters his or her blood sugar reading into the app. The monster writhes in pain if the reading is within a good range. If the person maintains a good blood sugar reading throughout the day, then the monster is vanquished at the end of the day.
When inputting a mealtime blood sugar reading, the patient can snap a photo of his or her dinner within the app, and why not, since the picture is probably going to be posted to Facebook later anyway. In addition to inputting blood sugar, patients can input the grams of carbohydrate in the meal.
Patients can also choose how they feel by clicking an icon, such as a smiley face. For instance, if you are feeling self-satisfied because you ate a salad for dinner instead of a Big Mac, then you can click the smiley face.
Research from University College London shows that apps that provide decision support, such as what comes from data analysis, are most effective at helping patients to manage diabetes over the long term. To that end, mySugr includes in-app games to help patients reach their goals, as well as data analysis that helps patients with decision-making.
An app like this won't stop my father-in-law from leaving his blood-smeared table napkins on his desk. It could, however, help to stop the nighttime visits from the paramedics that happen when he gives himself the wrong insulin dosages.
Edited by
Alisen Downey
