Insulin pumps and sophisticated blood glucose meters have set a promising stage for advanced Diabetes management, but they only scratch the surface of technology’s potential to revolutionize care in this domain.

Digital innovations are reshaping the way people with Diabetes (PWD) manage their illness and go about their daily lives. Automated retinal screening, predicted population risk stratification, clinical decision-support systems, and mobile self-management tools have ushered in a new era of care that allows for greater accuracy, efficiency, and ease-of-use of medical technologies. Due in large part to these innovations, millions of PWDs have been able to achieve better control of blood glucose levels, reduce hypoglycemic episodes, and lower the number of Diabetes-related comorbidities and complications.

The possibilities for improved Diabetes care are endless considering the rate at which technology is becoming more adaptive and sophisticated. This notion is supported by a 2019 study published in The Lancet, which finds that “in the next five years, as many advances are expected in technology for Diabetes management as there have been in the past five years.”

Artificial pancreases, cognitive AI systems, and innovative mobile applications may seem like the nexus of progressive healthcare, but the availability of these technologies vary drastically depending on a person’s location and socio-economic background. For these technologies to make an impact at scale, a concerted effort between public institution, private industry, and NGO must be achieved to address barriers in Diabetes care around the world.

The success of these technologies is contingent upon several factors, chief among them being the availability and affordability of insulin products. In India, a region with nearly 100,000 children with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), the cost of insulin averages between Rs 3500-4000 per month. Vials of insulin can be very difficult to access in the country’s rural regions, largely due to poor supply of appropriate insulin products. On top of this, one Diabetic-related hospitalization can cost upwards of Rs 80,000.

Research funded by Medtronic and published in the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism finds that even when compared globally, India’s rural youth with T1D have higher rates of hospitalizations, lower appointment adherence, and poorer communication with their care teams compared to their urban counterparts. 

The report also finds that the number of T1D diagnoses is rising 3% per annum in India. The incidence of T1D throughout the country exceeds previous beliefs, with data from the Karnataka diabetes registry and studies conducted in Haryana and India’s southern states showing rates of incidence ranging from 3.7/1,00,000 to 31.9/1, 00,000. These statistics show the gravity of this global health concern and the need for policy that address barriers in Diabetes care.

A 2017 study from IBM Watson Health in Cambridge, MA found that 68% of mobile health app developers believe that Diabetes continues to be the single healthcare field with the best market potential for digital solutions in the near future. Moreover, the research finds that 61% of those surveyed see AI as the most disruptive technology shaping the digital health sector. 

Progress in this domain optimizes treatment for a variety of illnesses, yet several key challenges remain. Optimal care for those with chronic illnesses is often curtailed by the lack of real-time, important health information. This information is critical to making informed health choices, especially for patients with illnesses that require intensive therapy and management. 

A blog post from IBM states that 80% of health data is unstructured. These pieces of data include clinician notes, clinical trials, hospital records, discharge summaries, imaging and lab results, and device and sensor data — all of which play an important role in developing and adhering to a healthcare plan. Fortunately, engineers, designers, and healthcare professionals are evaluating how to digitize these data sources by tapping into the power of emerging technologies.

Take for example the Aravind Eye Hospital in Madurai, India, which has implemented automated retinal screening technologies to test at-risk individuals for Diabetic retinopathy. The hospital has deployed IDx-DR, a software that uses AI to analyze images of patient’s eyes taken with a retinal camera (Topcon NW400). A press release from the FDA explains that the images are uploaded to a cloud server and provide doctors with one of two results: 1.) “More than mild Diabetic Retinopathy detected: refer to an eye care professional”; or 2.) “Negative for more than mild Diabetic Retinopathy: re-screen in 12 months.”

The IDx-DR software can screen hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people around the world for Diabetic retinopathy. The technology offers a promising starting point for those keen on addressing global health concerns through meaningful AI applications. It also benefits two major stakeholder groups in the healthcare space: patients, by giving them more accessible and accurate screening technologies, and clinicians, by significantly reducing screening times and the likelihood of incorrect diagnoses. 

In addition to being efficient and effective, digital experiences must be engaging, exciting, and personal in order to make an impact. This doesn’t simply mean designing beautiful layouts and webpages, but thinking critically about what elements make for truly satisfying user experiences. Designers, developers, and technologists must consider key principles of design psychology, impact engineering, and Human Factors design to accomplish this task.

The power of the internet — and of digital technologies, more broadly — is sustained by the people who bring them to life. Technology, when deployed correctly, should ignite curiosity, imagination, and passion within its users. Only then is the true power of digital experience unleashed.

With this notion in mind, it is clear that end users are the most important stakeholders to consider throughout the research, design, and development processes. While this may seem obvious, current usability challenges of various technologies suggest there are several opportunities for improvement.

Take for example the challenges associated with insulin pump devices. In this context, an insulin pump users’ health is contingent on their understanding and ability to complete a series of tasks using the device. The design and engineering of effective medical technologies — including insulin pumps — requires Human Factors methods that identify what users need, what they’re capable of, and what their limitations are. To succeed in this pursuit, design thinking must understand the deep, complicated psychological relationships users have with their medical devices. Additionally, designers must understand how these technologies function in context — both in clinical and casual settings. When this knowledge is acquired, the data gathered must be used to determine how to present the right information at the right time — for this is the founding principal of meaningful experience design.