As I hope you all know by now, the 2009 DiabetesMine Design Challenge is calling on everyone
— including all you disgruntled patients out there — to get creative about “solving” daily diabetes problems. What kind of gadget or web application would really make your life with diabetes better?
Here’s your chance to help all of us, and possibly win $10,000 in the process. Not bad!
The “Early-Bird” prize (or really just “praise”) goes to Chloe Lamprecht, for uploading our very first entry in the Kids’ Category. I’m not going to tell you what her idea is, but it has something to do with a Blackberry. You’ll just have to check it out for yourself on the contest Scribd group (area for uploading paper submissions).
To get your juices flowing further, I wanted to point out an innovative diabetes company I’ve been corresponding with — who unfortunately say they can’t enter the contest at this time, but are doing some very interesting work:
Check out the Glucose Buddy iPhone App from MYLEstone Healh. This young company has been running around actually asking people what kinds of products would make their lives with diabetes easier (imagine!). And they got some substantive answers.
All I can say at this point is that they are setting up “a hardware-software-webware connection” that will allow members to sign in and view data in a variety of ways — quite different from anything available now, they tell me.
Co-founder Matt Tendler writes: “Sure, being able to download a program onto your Motorola Razr is great, but realistically how many people even know how to download programs on a ‘regular’ cell phone, let alone have the patience to navigate their way around the software? … As someone with diabetes, this cause is so much greater than the next new iPod design or a 1-inch thick LCD screen.”
You can read more about how “numbers are a diabetic’s best friend” on Matt’s blog.
And then get your thinking cap on — and start sketching out your own concept for your Ideal Diabetes Tool. All entries welcome here.
You don’t need an I-Phone to use the applications. The I-Pod touch is just like the I-Phone except you don’t use cell phone technology. Instead, you use wifi. The applications that are added daily in the App Store are amazing and there are thousands of medical related apps. The touch can communicate wirelessly with your computer so any kind of data can easily be used in an app. Check out the app store yourself and seach it’s 7000 applications. Many of the apps are free and the others a pretty cheap.
I hope that Blackberry-related idea isn’t just for kids. I’m dying for something like EZManager for Blackberry. Once upon a time, I had a Palm, and loved EZManager – I had a few minor complaints, but overall, it worked well and I was happy with it. I’ve got nothing for my Blackberry though. Unless something comes out, I anticipate choosing my next phone based on the availability of a user-friendly D-management app. I’m a creative person, but this is so far from my realm of creativity. I have to rely on others to make this one happen. *hint hint* to computer geeks far and wide…
Hello there all you diabetics out there. I am a recently diagnosed d.2 65 year old. I considered myself fit and with-it and did not fit any of the criteria of newly diagnosed diabetics except for my age…. those over 60 have a much higher risk of the disease. I was totally freaked out by the idea of taking medication for the rest of my life. I looked into programs focusing on diet. For the past two years I have been able to maintain a great HA1C percentage (between 5.1 and 5.6) with diet and exercise. Why do we not hear more about this way to fight diabetes? Does anyone analyze the labels on most food products? Does anyone care that the food industry is stuffing people with unhealthy corn syrup solids, transfats, and other unhealthy foods for diabetics… in fact they might be creating new diabetics for the pharmaceutical industry…. Why don’t I hear anything about a movement to do what I am doing. Most people think I am crazy for keeping to my diet, but I am healthier than most of my friends who are my age, and I don’t have to pay outrageous medical prescription costs for diabetic medications. Anyone out there>>>>> I’d love to hear from any diabetics (#2 only – I do understand that diaabetes one people have totally different issues, – but those of us who can fight this with will power, diet and exercise….? Why not try? Maryanne Mc Devitt
I get the sense that most of the submissions will include a large technology component to the design of the solution. I’m eager to see what people come up with since advances in technology have dramatically altered the management of diabetes.
Innovation is truly the need of the hour. One innovative thought is to ‘rename’ diabetes to ‘the diabetes syndrome’. This will create the buzz on all the head-to-toe signs, symptoms, and special susceptibilities of diabetics. You could see more thoughts on this at http://www.pharmaceuticalshealthcare.blogspot.com
Amy,
Apple and LifeScan just announced some sort of support for diabetes devices and apps that will integrate with the iPhone. What are your thoughts on that?
I’ve taken care of my mother who was diagnosed type 2 approximately 10 years ago.
Although it’s not exactly “news” that we all should be eating & drinking to maintain our body’s pH at around the 7.4pH (slightly alkaline) level, I’ve only recently learned that ordinary tap water and bottled drinking water can actually contribute to a less healthy (acidic) state.
Drinking alkaline ionized water is the easiest way to help balance our body’s pH. It’s also a powerful detoxifier, anti-oxidant & facilitates thirst quenching (down to the cellular level) more efficiently than conventional water.
This video explains this subject quite well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43VT_hYK4yc
There’s a lot of useful information on alkaline water ionizers at this site:
http://www.soymilkquick.com
Sometimes we forget about the everyday physical pains of diabetes when we become more technology focused. Injecting yourself daily is not only a hassle but can be very painful. Even worse, many people stop taking their injections or eat less in order to be able to skip an insulin shot. The i-port is a new invention designed to take the shots for you. You adhere it to your body once, and it takes your shots for you without any pain for the next 3 days. Not only that, but it was created by a woman with diabetes as a solution to the daily hassles she was dealing with. I definitely think this product should be mentioned in association with this contest. Check it out if you’re interested: http://www.i-port.com/about.php