title: Ideas and enhancements related to mobile applications to support type 1 diabetes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mobile devices have become increasingly important to young people who now use them to access a wide variety of health-related information. Research and policy related to the integration of health information and support with this technology do not effectively consider the viewpoint of a younger patient. Views of young people with type 1 diabetes are vital in developing quality services and improving their own health-related quality of life (HRQOL), yet research on their lifestyle and use of Web and mobile technology to support their condition and in non-health-related areas is sparse.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To develop insight into young people with type 1 diabetes and their current use of Web and mobile technology and its potential impact on HRQOL. This can be achieved by constructing an in-depth picture of their day-to-day experiences from qualitative interviewing and exploring how they make use of technology in their lives and in relation to their condition and treatment. The goal was then to build something to help them, using the researcher's technical expertise and seeking users' opinions during the design and build, utilizing sociotechnical design principles.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected by semistructured, in-depth qualitative interviews (N=9) of young people with type 1 diabetes aged 18-21. Interviews were transcribed and loaded onto NVivo for theme identification. Data analysis was undertaken during initial interviews (n=4) to locate potential ideas and enhancements for technical development. Latter interviews (n=5) assisted in the iterative sociotechnical design process of the development and provided additional developmental ideas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six themes were identified providing an understanding of how participants lived with and experienced their condition and how they used technology. Four technological suggestions for improvement were taken forward for prototyping. One prototype was developed as a clinically approved app. A number of ideas for new mobile apps and enhancements to currently existing apps that did not satisfactorily cater to this age group's requirements for use in terms of design and functionality were suggested by interviewees but were not prototyped.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This paper outlines the nonprototyped suggestions from interviewees and argues that young people with type 1 diabetes have a key role to play in the design and implementation of new technology to support them and improve HRQOL. It is vital to include and reflect on their suggestions as they have a radically different view of technology than either their parents or practitioners. We need to consider the relationship to technology that young people with type 1 diabetes have, and then reflect on how this might make a difference to them and when it might not be a suitable mechanism to use.
authors.affiliation: The School of Health & Social Care, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, United Kingdom. apulman@bournemouth.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Andy
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7506-6897
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pulman
authors.forename: Jacqui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Galvin
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Masding
keywords: apps; empathy; enhancements; humanising healthcare; ideas; lifeworld; mobile; patient education; patient voice; sociotechnical design; type 1 diabetes
references.citation: Diabetes Technol Ther. 2003;5(6):991-6
references.pmid: 14709202
references.citation: Health Soc Care Community. 2012 Nov;20(6):591-8
references.pmid: 22758654
references.citation: Diabetes Care. 2010 Mar;33(3):602-4
references.pmid: 20032275
references.citation: Curr Diab Rep. 2011 Dec;11(6):494-502
references.pmid: 21932032
references.citation: Int J Med Inform. 1999 Aug;55(2):87-101
references.pmid: 10530825
references.citation: Aust Fam Physician. 2011 Nov;40(11):915-8
references.pmid: 22059224
references.citation: Diabet Med. 2010 Oct;27(10):1201-4
references.pmid: 20873363
references.citation: Telemed J E Health. 2012 Apr;18(3):175-84
references.pmid: 22356525
references.citation: Soc Sci Med. 2000 Feb;50(3):387-96
references.pmid: 10626762
references.citation: Patient Educ Couns. 2005 Oct;59(1):1-12
references.pmid: 16198213
references.citation: Health Psychol. 2012 Jan;31(1):43-50
references.pmid: 21967662
references.citation: Int J Nurs Stud. 2009 Feb;46(2):197-203
references.pmid: 18954871
references.citation: J Med Internet Res. 2013 Jan 29;15(1):e15
references.pmid: 23360729
references.citation: J Clin Nurs. 2012 Jan;21(1-2):216-23
references.pmid: 21564360
references.citation: Pediatr Diabetes. 2007 Oct;8 Suppl 6:6-14
references.pmid: 17727380
references.citation: J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2009 Nov 01;3(6):1481-9
references.pmid: 20144404
references.citation: J Adv Nurs. 2012 Nov;68(11):2486-95
references.pmid: 22335357