2013 Press Releases
Diabetes app goes down a treat
Children with Type 1 diabetes can now use a smartphone application to learn about insulin pumps and to troubleshoot problems, thanks to a team based in UCC and Cork University Hospital (CUH).
The team have won a Healthcare Innovation Award for their efforts in developing the first smartphone based educational application for children with Type 1 diabetes learning to use insulin pumps. Pumps4Kids was developed on the iPhone and Android platforms by a team lead by Drs Colin Hawkes and Stephen O’Riordan (Dept of Paediatrics and Child Health, CUH and UCC).
The software development and design that was key to winning the ‘Innovation in Patient Support’ category was carried out by Debbie Hawkes and Elaine Kinsella.
Now in their 6th year, the Biomnis Healthcare Innovation Awards seek to broaden awareness of the need to constantly improve standards of care and patient safety in Irish healthcare. The other joint winners in this category were the Asthma Society of Ireland for 'Asthma Coach – Irelands First Asthma Smartphone App'.
Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong condition that is usually diagnosed in childhood, and is becoming more common worldwide. This autoimmune condition is characterised by destruction of the cells of the pancreas that produce insulin, and has traditionally required regular insulin injections. Insulin pumps are becoming increasingly popular as an alternative method of providing insulin, and may improve diabetes control and quality of life in selected patients.
Transitioning from insulin injections to the insulin pump can be a huge challenge for children and their families. Extensive education and support is required to achieve this and the 24-hour availability of emergency advice can be required. A 2-day “Pump School” is a key part of this education in Cork University Hospital, and this application will complement this essential teaching.
The multidisciplinary team that developed this application also included Dr Marian McCarthy (Teaching and Learning, UCC), Sarah Dowdall (Videography), Professor Peter Hindmarsh (University of London), Nurse Norma O’Toole (Cork University Hospital), Nurse Dympna Devenney and Dr Nuala Murphy (Children’s University Hospital, Temple St). All members provided their time and expertise without reimbursement, to ensure that this application was universally available to all children and their parents for free.
Pumps4Kids was developed using extensive patient feedback to ensure that it meets the educational needs of children at various levels of knowledge regarding this treatment. Following release, ongoing feedback will ensure that content evolves to meet the users’ learning needs. This application was released in February 2013 and has been downloaded over 700 times and used over 2000 times in over 40 countries.
Smartphones are increasingly being used by children and teenagers and may provide an opportunity to enhance medical care in this population. Initial feedback has been extremely positive and uptake to date suggests that there is significant demand for this educational tool. Adaptation of this application with enhanced video is planned, and the development of further educational tools for children with Type 1 diabetes may follow.
For a full list of winners and further information, see http://www.healthawards.ie/nominations/