Digital Diabetes: supporting engagement with self management
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Digital Diabetes: using design-led participatory approaches to creatively explore experiences of diabetes self management and identify opportunities for digital and service innovation.
IRAS ID
194717
Contact name
Gemma Teal
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The Glasgow School of Art
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 2 months, 29 days
Research summary
How do people living with diabetes and their caregivers (family, professionals) want to be supported in self management or engaging others in self management of diabetes, through digital and service innovation?
The number of people diagnosed with diabetes in the UK increased from 1.4 million in 1996 to 3.3 million in 2014, with projections estimating 5 million diabetics in the UK by 2025. This growth in demand is in part due to the ageing population, which poses major challenges for the healthcare service. As a result, there is a need to consider alternative strategies for healthcare delivery in an attempt to overcome these challenges. ‘Digital diabetes’ (i.e. digital products and services for people living with diabetes and their clinicians) is significantly further forward than other conditions in terms of acceptance and everyday use in part due to the need to monitor and record glucose levels and diet. This presents an opportunity to explore innovations in digital technology with a group of stakeholders who are already using technology as ‘experts’ or early adopters with the potential to apply the learning to other long term conditions.
Using design-led workshop activities with people with diabetes and their caregivers we will creatively explore experiences of diabetes self management and identify opportunities for digital and service innovation. Three workshops (each 4-5 hours including breaks) will be conduction in urban and rural locations (Glasgow/Inverness) over a period of three months. The research will seek to involve adults (over the age of 16) who are living with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes and informal carers (sessions 1a and 1b, approx. 10 participants in each), and clinicians and other professionals involved in supporting people living with diabetes (session 2, approx. 15 participants).
REC name
East of Scotland Research Ethics Service REC 2
REC reference
16/ES/0010
Date of REC Opinion
4 Feb 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion