Imagine if you could be given a meal plan for the week based on what you have eaten the previous week. And this is not just any kind of meal plan, it is a meal plan to ensure your diabetes is in check. Wouldn’t it also be great if you were reminded to take your medications? In fact, that would be a great help in our rushed world to be reminded that we have slacked off in our diet or our exercise regimen or have forgotten to take our meds.
What exactly am I getting at? Do I mean you should get a personal assistant to help you? Well, in a certain way, I am hinting at a personal assistant but not of the human kind. Its more on the lines of a personal assistant in our mobiles!
Yes guys, I mean apps on our smartphone can actually handle such tasks and simplify our lives. This is not just a personal conviction; this observation is a result of a study that has compiled data from 14 individual studies.
Researchers in Cardiff University set out to see the impact of mobile apps on diabetes management. The United Nations has observed that the incidence of diabetes is growing at an alarming rate in the world. In fact, the goal that has been set by the UN that all the countries to contain diabetes by 2025 and make it similar to the numbers seen in 2010, appears to be rather difficult to achieve given the current trend.
Most strategies that are currently employed look at how they can manage and prevent the condition. In many cases, personalized healthcare is being promoted as a viable option. In other words, having a health worker check in on you and find out your health concerns, check if you are taking your medications, and examine your diet, is a great way to monitor your condition.
The study by Cardiff University decided to see if smartphone apps actually have a similar effect in managing diabetes. There have been individual studies that have looked at the effect of smartphone apps on managing diabetes. The researchers at Cardiff University decided to compile all this data by performing a systematic review of these individual studies.
The total number of individuals in the combined pool of data was 1360. A total of 14 individual studies were analyzed.
And what they observed was that those who used mobile apps to manage their condition showed an approximate reduction of 0.5% in their blood sugar (HbA1C) levels compared with those who did not use any form of technology to manage their diabetes.
The researchers feel that this form of technology needs to be harnessed as it is very relevant in the management of type 2 diabetes. By 2020, nearly 5 billion mobile phones will be in use in the entire world. Combining mobile phones with the other forms of healthcare management will improve the management and preventive strategies for diabetes care.
Having personalized attention makes a big difference in our lives. And it is more so when it relates to a health condition in your life.
The study clearly shows that personalized attention does not have to be of the human nature alone, it can be a technology that provides the same kind of help.
For now, these apps have proved to be useful in managing type 2 diabetes. There is no evidence yet for the use of these apps in type 1 diabetes.
Finally, there are more ways to use that smartphone of yours. So, go ahead and check out those apps. You will be happy you did!
