Fun with diabetes self-care devices

Modz also gamifies the experience of living with diabetes by featuring a touchscreen interface full of Angry Birds characters, whose colours correspond to the child's blood glucose levels. The device features four levels, and users are awarded points for good test results, which allow them to progress up the levels.

"The Angry Birds correspond to different moods," explains Vesa Kemppainen, CEO of Modz. "When a child measures their blood glucose, the feedback is shown to you as a different colour Angry Bird. Children learn to associate each colour with what they need to do."

As well as alleviating the monotonous routine of taking blood glucose measurements, Modz relieves the stress on parents. The device informs parents of their children's health in real time through text messages, and as all the results are stored on a secure cloud service, the family remains constantly connected with their healthcare teams.

The device, says Kemppainen, gives back freedom and mobility to both children and their parents. "With Modz, parents receive a message on their phone every time their child takes a measurement." While Modz helps motivate children to actively take control of their healthcare and to feel independent, Kemppainen says that it also helps debunk the social stigma associated with diabetes. Children can be proud of this device. Instead of being a grey device, it's appealing and it lowers the barriers socially as you can explain it to your friends," he says. "To be socially accepted is a positive thing for someone with diabetes."