Mobile applications have significantly facilitated the daily functioning of people with diabetes, whose life requires constant self-control. Apps for diabetics are like a blood glucose reminder, analysis department and data bank all rolled into one.
Mobile applications for diabetics can successfully replace the self-examination diary of every diabetic. In an ordinary notebook, the patient notes down the blood glucose levels and insulin doses, which are repeatedly taken a day. Many diabetic patients also record the results of checkups ordered by their doctor, their activities, and eaten meals. All such data can be saved in a mobile application that has many more useful solutions than a regular notebook. However, which application for diabetics should you choose? What interesting functions do free applications available in Polish have?
How to choose an application
Carefully read the opinions of other users. You will quickly realize that in many applications for diabetics, generating reports for printing or setting extremely useful reminders about tests or follow-up visits requires the purchase of access to the extended version. In many cases, only basic data can be entered. You have to do this manually or the result is automatically sent from the meter. It is also important what kind of data can be entered, especially if someone has diseases other than diabetes. Information on blood pressure, heart parameters, weight, appetite, temperature and well-being can also be important and it is much more convenient to have all these data in one place.
Selection of 7 applications in Polish
The application has clear graphics, is very easy to use and contains many useful functions for people with diabetes. It automatically presents meter readings in the form of a color, clear diary and graphs (data up to 365 days) that allow you to quickly assess the relationship between blood sugar levels and meals, insulin intake and exercise. Notifies you of repeated high or low sugar levels. You can also clearly see the percentage of good and bad results during the day. This is very useful and motivates you to change your habits. There is also an automatic sending of notifications to the smartphone when high or low blood glucose is detected, coincreases the patient's safety. The app includes a tool for comparing the glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) result obtained in the laboratory with the results from the glucose meter for the last 3 months. The test result from the lab must be entered manually. Syncing your data with the Apple He alth app gives you a complete picture of your overall he alth.
Selected functions:
- sharing reports (family, doctor)
- Reminders to measure your blood sugar or inject insulin
- you can set personalized goals, e.g. for steps, calories consumed
Important: The app is free, available for iOS and Android.
2. Contour Diabetes
The results are marked on the color chart. Everything is transparent and legible, although Polish users complain about temporary "downtime" in operation. There are many useful functions in the new updated version, e.g. based on data that is sent automatically from the meter, the application analyzes the user's behavior pattern and indicates possible causes of therapeutic failures. It reminds you of better self-control and encourages the diabetic to change their habits to achieve better results. You can set a reminder so that the next time, for example, before a weekend get-together, you are prompted for less carbohydrate. This function, called "my schemas", was developed on the basis of the IMB - Information, Motovation, Behavioral model developed by psychologists: prof. William Fisher and Jeffrey Fisher. Scientists have shown that people with diabetes need valuable information, motivation to act and specific behavior change.
Selected functions:
- recognition of 14 patterns of behavior
- reminders to help you change habits
- reports in log or CSV file
- adding text or voice notes (entries, photos of meals, names of medications)
Important: the application is free, available for iOS and Android, it is worth checking in advance if the selected phone model is on the list of compatible devices.
3. Diabetes - Diabetes
Useful program for diabetics. The application tracks key data and enables its analysis on interactive charts. Although some color indications of good or bad result are missing, which would facilitate their quick interpretation. Statistics from 7 days to 3 months.
Selected functions:
- data export (to CSV, XML)
- ability to add your own notes
Important: the applicationit's free, available for iOS and Android.
4. Diabdis - Diary of a diabetic
An extensive glycemic diary in a nice, delicate graphic version. There are around 2,000 items in the meal calculator, making it easy to calculate how many carbohydrates (and calories) are on your plate. You can add your own products to the list. It is possible to generate a report with the measurement results. Just select a date range and destination email address. The application is adapted to people of all ages, with different types of diabetes. The convenience is the ability to install it on the smartwatch.
Selected functions:
- chat with a selected expert, e.g. a psychologist, diabetes educator, diabetologist, trainer
- virtual first aid kit (you can add information about the medications you take)
- report generation (PDF)
Important: The app is free, available for iOS and Android.
5. mySugr - Cukrzyk's Diary
A very convenient, clear and intuitive application for diabetics. Helps you keep track of your blood glucose levels to avoid hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia. A diabetic monster accompanies the user all the time and makes surprising sounds. In the mobile application diary, you can save all meals and medications, and add your own notes on physical activity or well-being. There is also space for your own photos. Automatically retrieves data from the meter. On the main screen of the application, the user always has access to his average blood sugar, insulin dose, activity.
Selected functions:
- glucose test reminders
- download reports from any period (PDF, CSV, MS Excel)
- ] motivational challenges for which you get temporary access to the extended version of the application
Important: the application is free in the basic version, available for iOS and Android.
Diabetes in numbers
According to WHO statistics, there are almost 415 million people with diabetes in the world. In Poland, about 3.5 million people suffer from it and this number, unfortunately, will increase. According to medical forecasts, in 2022 every 10th Pole will suffer from diabetes.
Experts emphasize that people with diabetes, especially type 2, measure blood glucose too rarely, which is certainly important for the long-term control of diabetes. The development of technology means that patients have access to more and more modern and constantly improved mobile applications that help monitor he alth and select insulin doses.
In most cases people with diabetesthey only spend a few hours a year with their doctor and rely on self-monitoring the rest of the time. Thanks to the mobile application, they can send reports by e-mail or print them before the next visit. Hundreds of new medical applications appear every year.
6. SugarBuster
The originator of the application is Tomasz Weber from Wrocław, whose son has type 1 diabetes. She was diagnosed when the boy was only 2 years old. SugarBuster is a colorful educational game that allows young diabetics to gain valuable knowledge, e.g. about the glycemic index of selected products. It teaches you the appropriate actions to be taken with dangerous blood sugar levels. Participants choose an avatar of their character and set off on a journey through a colorful board, where there is no shortage of juicy pears, tasty candies or chocolate bars. The game requires attention, perceptiveness, teaches decision-making and quick assimilation of knowledge. Participants collect more points, but they must constantly watch the sugar level, which may suddenly jump up or down. When it is too high, the player has to find insulin quickly, if it is too low - look for glucose. The application received a positive opinion from the Department of Endocrinology and Diabetology of the developmental age of the Medical University of Wroclaw.
Important: The app is free, available for iOS and Android.
7. VitaScale calorie and exchanger calulator
The application was created for type 1 diabetics and people who follow diets and count calories. It allows you to calculate the calorific value of meals as well as the content of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. It includes a calculator of exchangers (WW - carbohydrate, WBT - protein-fat) and a diabetic diary, which makes everyday life with diabetes easier.
Selected functions:
- products can be searched by text, by voice or by scanning the barcode
- integrated calendar with meal / snack reminder
- interactive bar for daily calories and nutritional value informs about the limits used
- calculate nutritional values and insulin units for the whole meal
Important: The application is free of charge, available on Android.
Applications for diabetics - user opinion
Andrzej Michalik - a traveler suffering from type 1 diabetes. In 2016, he sailed the Vistula from the mountains to the sea in a canoe. A year later, he crossed the Polish B altic coast on foot, and in 2022 he crossed Poland from the sea to Rysy. He calls his trips "sweet" because he has to control blood glucose all the time. Uses one of the applicationsmobile for diabetics.
"During the trip, every gram in the backpack counts, so I use the mobile application. I do not save on straps and take 6 to 20 measurements a day. The meter connects to the smartphone via Bluetooth and sends all the data that is analyzed. It was only thanks to the application that I noticed some regularities that, for example, I always have high sugar on Saturday evening. All kinds of summaries - weekly, monthly, are very useful and motivating for me. When I see that the average sugar level in the last week was 200, it gives me Or when at the end of the day I see that I have had 10 bad and 8 good results, I feel that I have lost and I have to try harder, maybe compose the diet differently, exercise more. I find this a very useful feature for children, adolescents and people who are recently struggling with diabetes. I have been living with it for 32 years. and others that the disease is not an obstacle to being active, it just needs to be well controlled. The application helps a lot in this, displays various hints, for example "inject a few units or limit carbohydrates". I have my traditional self-monitoring diary at home, but I only consult it from time to time when I want to write down longer observations and conclusions related to my illness. "