Many people with diabetes have been told that they need to be their own doctor, managing the disease day in and day out between their actual visit to the doctor. However, that can be a challenging task.
A recent article published by Diabetes in Control looked at a new smart phone technology designed by researchers in China that may significantly help people with diabetes manage their condition, especially older individuals. .
Initial studies of the Chinese Aged Diabetic Assistant, which includes interactive games and features that make it easy to log food and blood sugar levels, weight, diet, exercise, mood and blood pressure, have been encouraging. Not surprisingly, the researchers say that patients involved in their own care produce better health results.
Furthermore, researchers say that gaming has proved to be a valuable way to help engage users and encourage them to stay active in their own health management. Games include trivia, a tile matching game, and a “food pyramid” game, which is designed to encourage users to limit the amount of sugar they take in.
The project was funded with a $100,000 grant from Microsoft.
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