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Would this kind of app be useful for T1Ds

Thanks so much everyone for your thoughts and honest feedback — it’s really appreciated.


I completely get that for many of you who already manage your diabetes confidently and have systems that work well, something like this might not feel necessary or useful. And you're absolutely right that nothing should ever replace someone’s own judgement or proper education — that’s not the intention at all.


The idea was more about helping those who might be struggling, feeling overwhelmed, or newly diagnosed, by reducing the amount of effort needed day to day. Things like food recognition and pattern tracking wouldn’t be there to “tell” anyone what to do, but to make life easier — more like a personalised learning tool or smart assistant.


It’s also really helpful to be reminded that forums like this often represent people already well in control, so wider feedback will definitely be needed from a broader audience.


Thanks again for taking the time — I won’t keep replying individually but I’ll take all your comments into account as I think things through further.
 
It is often said that diabetes is a slow moving foe, particularly for new T2s who represent some 90% of those diagnosed with diabetes. But the really slow moving player is the NHS. A different thread drifted slightly in drawing attention to the need for a co-ordinated and authorative briefing "pack = toolkit" for anyone newly diagnosed.

The proposal is laudable but beset by any commonality from within the NHS beyond a diagnosis from an HbA1c - despite NICE Guidance notes which are more for the benefit of HCPs than new patients. I continue to worry that one more app will just add to the confusion of a new diabetes diagnosis UNLESS it is wholeheartedly adopted by the NHS and universally presented as an NHS solution.

People who are either newly diagnosed, or overwhelmed and struggling need clear, succinct help not one more app that may contradict the existing advice - wherever that comes from. (NHS sometimes, the Internet, this DUK Forum or any other forum. There's a minefield out there, sadly.)
 
Facilitating logging of food/medication/exercise/illness/etc and using that along with either known or estimated (well, even known is often an estimate, so degrees of accuracy of estimation) carbs/macros (as the mixture changes absorption profile as well as whether protein/fat needs to be counted) to suggest basal and bolus doses would be useful (and is a thing I'm working towards, very slowly). Equally being able to estimate carb ratios across the day based on historic data would be useful, and might even manage to move away from needing to do proper basal fasting tests (I've never done one of those, and instead work out what I think I need in my head - however this could be improved).

So I think there's value, my preference is for it to not be neural net based "AI", but rather explicit equation-based "AI" as the latter makes it much easier (possible) to determine the relative importance of different factors and produce an intelligible explanation of the effects.

Are you looking to develop a product to monetise? My preference is open source and taking the approach of building a set of ideally fairly targeted apps, which will work together (but any one of which can be replaced as needed as newer approaches come along, etc.)

Good luck with your app development 🙂
 
I am not type 1 but found this thread very interesting. I applaud the OP for looking to develop a useful app and asking T1 forum users for feedback. I can fully understand the drawbacks and reservations raised.

What I would ask you to consider is that when the CGM technology was developed. Using the ability to use an an algorithm to convert readings from interstitial fluid to BG levels was a game changer.
I am sure many people had similar doubts and reservations about using it, yet despite its limitations it has made a difference to T1s and T2s using insulin to help them manage their diabetes.

@tgwynwa2024 I wish you all the best in developing an App that helps people manage their diabetes.
 
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