Diabetes Emoticons

Name: Diabetes Emoticons
Author: University of Michigan

University of Michigan

DOCUMENTED

Published in academic literature

For:Patients & Caregivers

Free

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App Summary

Diabetes Emoticons is a communication app co-designed by patients and caregivers to help adolescents with type 1 diabetes and their parents discuss daily management. The associated research describes the protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial (N=82 parents) testing a strengths-based mobile health intervention that helps parents reinforce their teen's positive diabetes-related behaviors. The authors conclude that this approach has the potential to reduce family conflict, enhance collaborative teamwork, and ultimately improve diabetes outcomes.

App Screenshots

Detailed Description

Functionality & Mechanism

Developed by HealthDesignBy.Us at the University of Michigan, Diabetes Emoticons provides a library of specialized icons to facilitate communication between adolescents with type 1 diabetes and their caregivers. The interface enables the selection and transmission of pictograms representing specific management tasks or health states. This mechanism is designed to streamline daily exchanges and reduce the friction inherent in frequent text-based health conversations, translating complex or repetitive information into a simple visual format.

Evidence & Research Context

The app's development utilized a patient-centered, co-design process involving adolescents with type 1 diabetes, caregivers, and multidisciplinary experts from the University of Michigan.
The concept of leveraging mobile messaging to support positive family interactions forms the basis of an associated strengths-based intervention detailed in a pilot RCT protocol.
The planned trial (N=82 parents) described in the protocol is designed to evaluate an mHealth intervention's effect on family conflict and collaborative diabetes management.

Intended Use & Scope

This application is designed as a communication aid for adolescents with type 1 diabetes and their parents or caregivers to facilitate daily exchanges regarding disease management. It is intended to supplement, not replace, direct conversation and structured care routines. The app does not provide medical advice, track health data, or function as a clinical management tool.

Studies & Publications

1 publication

Peer-reviewed research associated with this app.

Study Protocol

Strengths-Based Behavioral Intervention for Parents of Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes Using an mHealth App (Type 1 Doing Well): Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Hilliard et al. (2018) · JMIR Research Protocols

Research study planned or in progress; results not yet available

Background: Supportive parent involvement for adolescents' type 1 diabetes (T1D) self-management promotes optimal diabetes outcomes. However, family conflict is common and can interfere with collaborative family teamwork. Few interventions have used explicitly strengths-based approaches to help reinforce desired management behaviors and promote positive family interactions around diabetes care. Objective: The aim of this protocol was to describe the development of a new, strengths-based behavioral intervention for parents of adolescents with T1D delivered via a mobile-friendly Web app called Type 1 Doing Well. Methods: Ten adolescent-parent dyads and 5 diabetes care providers participated in a series of qualitative interviews to inform the design of the app. The 3- to 4-month pilot intervention will involve 82 parents receiving daily prompts to use the app, in which they will mark the diabetes-related strength behaviors (ie, positive attitudes or behaviors related to living with or managing T1D) their teen engaged in that day. Parents will also receive training on how to observe diabetes strengths and how to offer teen-friendly praise via the app. Each week, the app will generate a summary of the teen's most frequent strengths from the previous week based on parent reports, and parents will be encouraged to praise their teen either in person or from a library of reinforcing text messages (short message service, SMS). Results: The major outcomes of this pilot study will include intervention feasibility and satisfaction data. Clinical and behavioral outcomes will include glycemic control, regimen adherence, family relationships and conflict, diabetes burden, and health-related quality of life. Conclusions: This strengths-based, mobile health (mHealth) intervention aims to help parents increase their awareness of and efforts to support their adolescents' engagement in positive diabetes-related behaviors. If efficacious, this intervention has the potential to reduce the risk of family conflict, enhance collaborative family teamwork, and ultimately improve diabetes outcomes. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02877680; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02877680 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6xTAMN5k2)

In the Media

Diabetes App Helps Patients Communicate with Caregivers

Sisters Reece and Olivia Ohmer developed Diabetes Emoticons to help young diabetes patients communicate more easily with parents and caregivers, using illustrated emoticons to quickly respond to common check-ins about blood sugar testing and snacking. The University of Michigan's "Michigan Hackers" student group is developing and testing the app, which they hoped to make available on iTunes in the first quarter of 2016. The sisters presented their innovation during the Young Innovator Workshop at CHOC's Pediatrics 2040 conference.

ChocRead article