The Power of Play Based Apps in Patient Self Management of Diabetes

Abstract

Interactive animated 3D computer graphics provide a rich and engaging mechanism with which it is possible to enhance interactions with complex information. This research focused on the use of “flow”, in the form of 3D animated movement of items through depth over time, to display changes in diabetes management and blood sugar levels. It also utilizes “play”, in the form of interactive 3D game play, to demonstrate 3D systems to present complex health information for Type 1 diabetes in a more engaging form. The flow based “Diabetes Visualizer” interface described here uses circulating 3D graphical structures that flow around the users point of view to present information relating to diabetes management tasks. The Diabetes Visualizer utilizes complex diabetic blood sugar, activity level and insulin delivery information, and presents it in an interactive 3D time based animated game form. Utilizing the mechanism of the 3D flow interfaces, this 3D interactive form is quite different to other diabetes management tools (primarily 2D chart based and static) and shows potential in providing an improved interface to this complex condition and its management. Results from early experimental studies of the visualizer tool show potential in providing a more engaging form of presenting this type of information through the use of interactive 3D “flow” based systems. being presented on a globe of the world) as a significant feature but also highlighted the fact that the use of depth in the 3D tool allowed them to more easily see locations where there were significant spikes in impact and this advantage appeared to play a key role in the 3D tools preference over its flat 2D counterparts. These results indicate that the use of 3D web based applications for the visualization of world health data, in differing fields through the reusable nature of the tool, offer the potential to enhance the users interaction with the data.