I guess this is a matter of if you can't beat them, join them. It is certainly an interesting way to combine entertainment with the dreadful prospect of testing blood sugars. I actually like this idea of kids having a game challenge to unlock doors, through regular testing of their blood sugars. It puts fun into it and, in my opinion, fosters a sense of urgency with children to test regularly to beat the game. I have an eleven year old diabetic son and I'm fully aware of the challenges to keep blood sugars at te required level. I am not sure how this game is going to deal with the testing frequencies, because not all kids have the same testing frequency. On the other hand the game allows the kids to be aware of their blood sugar scores which can be treated accordingly. There is however still one constant factor that needs to be applied, constant supervision is still the name of the game. The game may help kids to test when it is required, but kids still need constant supervision to treat the acquired levels of blood sugar. Finally, Nintendo has cleverly tapped into the diabetes market with the introduction of this diabetes accessory, which I believe may be a very rewarding one.
Blood sugar testing game and accessory coming for the Nintendo DS
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Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Monday, April 26, 2010
Friday, May 22, 2009
Telemedicine trial cuts diabetes emergencies
A telemedicine experiment in New York has found the technology helps children with Type 1 diabetes manage their condition and led to fewer having to be admitted to hospital.
Type 1 diabetes is the most common chronic childhood disease and needs to be managed using regular glucose measurements with multiple daily injections of insulin, with frequent insulin dose adjustments.
Roberto Izquierdo and colleagues from SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York, studied 41 children between the ages of 5 and 14 years with type 1 diabetes. All of the children received routine care, and 23 of the 41 children were also enrolled in a telemedicine intervention program.
During the initial six month period of use, the telemedicine group experienced improved blood sugar control and led to fewer visits to the emergency department and hospitalisations due to their diabetes. More than 90 per cent of the participants said they would use the programme again.
Izquierdo said: “Children in the telemedicine treatment group were more apt to feel better about their diabetes.”
He claimed the children who used the telemedicine program were more likely to complete the prescribed diabetes care related tasks, which can lead to improved management of the disease.
As a part of routine care, letters containing instructions for each child’s diabetes care were sent to school nurses, who also attended an annual diabetes education program. Additionally, all children visited the diabetes centre at SUNY Medical University every three months, and parents, children, and school nurses communicated with the centre via phone as needed. In addition to receiving regular care, the 23 children enrolled in the telemedicine intervention program attended video conferences with the school nurse and the diabetes centre monthly to discuss treatment orders. Their glucose readings were sent to the centre via the telemedicine unit, and the diabetes nurse practitioners at the centre made adjustments to insulin treatments as needed.
The research was published in the Journal of Pediatrics.
Type 1 diabetes is the most common chronic childhood disease and needs to be managed using regular glucose measurements with multiple daily injections of insulin, with frequent insulin dose adjustments.
Roberto Izquierdo and colleagues from SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York, studied 41 children between the ages of 5 and 14 years with type 1 diabetes. All of the children received routine care, and 23 of the 41 children were also enrolled in a telemedicine intervention program.
During the initial six month period of use, the telemedicine group experienced improved blood sugar control and led to fewer visits to the emergency department and hospitalisations due to their diabetes. More than 90 per cent of the participants said they would use the programme again.
Izquierdo said: “Children in the telemedicine treatment group were more apt to feel better about their diabetes.”
He claimed the children who used the telemedicine program were more likely to complete the prescribed diabetes care related tasks, which can lead to improved management of the disease.
As a part of routine care, letters containing instructions for each child’s diabetes care were sent to school nurses, who also attended an annual diabetes education program. Additionally, all children visited the diabetes centre at SUNY Medical University every three months, and parents, children, and school nurses communicated with the centre via phone as needed. In addition to receiving regular care, the 23 children enrolled in the telemedicine intervention program attended video conferences with the school nurse and the diabetes centre monthly to discuss treatment orders. Their glucose readings were sent to the centre via the telemedicine unit, and the diabetes nurse practitioners at the centre made adjustments to insulin treatments as needed.
The research was published in the Journal of Pediatrics.
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