Dear my Very Problematic Blood Glucose Meter: Adolescents' Experiences Self-Managing Type 1 Diabetes and their Psychosocial User Requirements Of Medical Technologies

<p>“Dear insulin pump. I love that you came into my life! You give me flexibility, confidence, and happiness.” “Dear my very problematic blood glucose meter. I wish I could let you go. I don't ask much from you, just correct readings and that you stop deciding to pack it in. You make me second guess myself and my health.” The difference between a loved and a despised medical device is stark. Adolescents with type 1 diabetes require medical devices that facilitate their self-management throughout every aspect of their lives, from school, to the sports field, to managing hypoglycaemia in the middle of the night. This research aims to describe adolescents’ experiences self-managing type 1 diabetes, and identify their psychosocial user requirements of medical technologies. Following a constructivist research paradigm, a range of predominantly qualitative and participatory design methods were employed with 16 adolescent and young adult participants with type 1 diabetes and nine health professionals. Methods included semi-structured interviews and a card-sort task to understand the psychosocial impacts of current medical devices. Cultural probes elicited: adolescents’ metaphors for managing diabetes, how they would like to manage their diabetes, the best and worst features of their devices, and the relationships they have with them. Undergraduate design students used secondary research and emergent psychosocial user requirements of medical devices to design blood glucose meters, lancets, storage solutions, and insulin pumps that resembled watches, jewellery, and smartphones, could be attached to a bike, or could glow at night. I used these designs to provide additional support for adolescents’ user requirements, demonstrate how they were of use to designers, and stimulate discussion with the adolescents. The adolescents with type 1 diabetes completed a participatory design workshop, designing blood glucose meters that challenged the ways in which medical devices currently draw attention. Findings were analysed using a constructivist approach to grounded theory, and psychosocial user requirements were developed. On average, current medical devices have positive psychosocial impacts on adolescents, with large positive impacts on users’ feelings of competence, followed by increased feelings of adaptability and self-esteem. However, some adolescent requirements remain unmet. Issues include the transition of responsibility for diabetes management from parent to adolescent, managing blood glucose while participating in everyday activities such as sports, managing attention, and developing acceptance of a long-term condition. Other issues stem from devices’ features, usability, reliability, and context of use. As research has indicated, the traditional health approach is about curing illness, but with diabetes, managing wellness is key. The person learns to fit diabetes around the rest-of-life. While it is pertinent that diabetes technologies are clinically effective, they should also be designed in alignment with adolescent psychosocial user requirements, taking into account not only their physical health, but also the ways and contexts in which adolescents go about their daily lives.</p>

Dear my Very Problematic Blood Glucose Meter: Adolescents' Experiences Self-Managing Type 1 Diabetes and their Psychosocial User Requirements Of Medical Technologies

<p>“Dear insulin pump. I love that you came into my life! You give me flexibility, confidence, and happiness.” “Dear my very problematic blood glucose meter. I wish I could let you go. I don't ask much from you, just correct readings and that you stop deciding to pack it in. You make me second guess myself and my health.” The difference between a loved and a despised medical device is stark. Adolescents with type 1 diabetes require medical devices that facilitate their self-management throughout every aspect of their lives, from school, to the sports field, to managing hypoglycaemia in the middle of the night. This research aims to describe adolescents’ experiences self-managing type 1 diabetes, and identify their psychosocial user requirements of medical technologies. Following a constructivist research paradigm, a range of predominantly qualitative and participatory design methods were employed with 16 adolescent and young adult participants with type 1 diabetes and nine health professionals. Methods included semi-structured interviews and a card-sort task to understand the psychosocial impacts of current medical devices. Cultural probes elicited: adolescents’ metaphors for managing diabetes, how they would like to manage their diabetes, the best and worst features of their devices, and the relationships they have with them. Undergraduate design students used secondary research and emergent psychosocial user requirements of medical devices to design blood glucose meters, lancets, storage solutions, and insulin pumps that resembled watches, jewellery, and smartphones, could be attached to a bike, or could glow at night. I used these designs to provide additional support for adolescents’ user requirements, demonstrate how they were of use to designers, and stimulate discussion with the adolescents. The adolescents with type 1 diabetes completed a participatory design workshop, designing blood glucose meters that challenged the ways in which medical devices currently draw attention. Findings were analysed using a constructivist approach to grounded theory, and psychosocial user requirements were developed. On average, current medical devices have positive psychosocial impacts on adolescents, with large positive impacts on users’ feelings of competence, followed by increased feelings of adaptability and self-esteem. However, some adolescent requirements remain unmet. Issues include the transition of responsibility for diabetes management from parent to adolescent, managing blood glucose while participating in everyday activities such as sports, managing attention, and developing acceptance of a long-term condition. Other issues stem from devices’ features, usability, reliability, and context of use. As research has indicated, the traditional health approach is about curing illness, but with diabetes, managing wellness is key. The person learns to fit diabetes around the rest-of-life. While it is pertinent that diabetes technologies are clinically effective, they should also be designed in alignment with adolescent psychosocial user requirements, taking into account not only their physical health, but also the ways and contexts in which adolescents go about their daily lives.</p>

Comparison of the accuracy of measuring blood glucose in whole blood of arteriovenous mixed blood by two kinds of blood glucose meters

BACKGROUND: Portable blood glucose meters are the main method for detecting the blood glucose status of clinical patients. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the accuracy of detecting blood glucose in haemodialysis patients by sampling two blood glucose meters through the haemodialysis line. METHODS: Convenient sampling was used to select 80 patients with maintenance haemodialysis. The patients were sampled through the arterial end of the haemodialysis line within three minutes of being put on the machine. One specimen was tested by glycemeter1, which can identify the type of blood in the arteries and veins, and glycemeter2, which can only detect blood glucose in the capillaries for bedside blood glucose testing. The other specimen was sent to the laboratory biochemical analyser for blood glucose testing. RESULTS: When the blood glucose value of the first blood glucose meter (No. 1) was compared with the laboratory biochemical analyser, the correlation coefficient was r = 0.805 (p < 0.05), the out of value of the first blood glucose meter accounted for 4.4%, and the consistency reached 95% (p < 0.05). When the blood glucose value of the second blood glucose meter (No. 2) was compared with the laboratory biochemical analyser, the correlation coefficient was r = 0.800 (p < 0.05), the out of value of the second blood glucose meter accounted for 4.4%, and the consistency reached 95% (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: For patients with maintenance haemodialysis, the blood glucose values detected by the two bedside blood glucose meters using arteriovenous mixed blood in the pipeline do not affect the accuracy and can respond more realistically.

New Heterometallic Compound as Luminescent Sensor for Detection of CS2 and Treatment Effect on Childhood Diabetes

The hydrothermal reaction of Cd(NO3)2·4H2O, KNO3 with the dicarboxylate ligand of 2-aminoterephthalic acid (H2L) yields a new heterometallic coordination polymer with the formula of [CdK2(L)2(H2O)4]n (1). Compound 1 emits intense luminescence at ambient temperature and shows high selectivity and sensitivity for the detection of CS2. Serial biological experiments were conducted to evaluate the activity of the new compound on children diabetes. First of all, after the compound treatment, the blood glucose meter was used to measure the levels of body's blood sugar. In addition to this, the relative expression levels of the insulin receptor on the liver cells were determined with real time RT-PCR.

Proposal of Blood Glucose Control and Exercise Therapy Support System Using Non-invasive Blood Glucose Meter

According to WHO, 420 million adults worldwide are suffering from diabetes. The diabetic patient should regularly verify and control their blood glucose levels. However, the existing blood glucose meters use a needle to collect blood, thus causing problems such as pain and infections. A non-invasive blood glucose meter is a measuring instrument that can avoid these problems, but such an instrument has not been developed to date. Diabetic patients should ensure blood glucose control and exercise therapy: however, the difficulty of management and lack of guidance on exercise therapy are problematic issues that need to be overcome. In this study, a non-invasive blood glucose meter and blood glucose control system has been developed, which can be used along with a healthcare sensor equipped with a non-invasive blood glucose measurement function.