New mobile app offers support to kids with type 1 diabetes

A new mobile game for children with diabetes in the UK has been launched by pharmaceutical company Sanofi.
Available to download for free on iPhone, iPad and Android devices, Monster Manor aims to help kids with type 1 diabetes better manage their condition through regular blood glucose testing by adding an element of fun to the challenge.
To encourage self-management of diabetes amongst young sufferers, Monster Manor features an integrated blood sugar tracker and logger that allows players to enter their readings. The more regularly a player tests and logs their blood sugar levels, the more rewards and positive feedback they receive.
With each entry, players are rewarded with a piñata to “smash” to collect the fun prize inside, and they can also use any currency earned to create crazy monsters, unlock bizarre furniture and collect weird pets.
And by enabling children to log their blood sugar tests, the mobile app also provides parents and healthcare professionals with a tool to help spot trends in glycemic control and support their child/patient’s efforts in managing type 1 diabetes.
Andrew Hockey, medical director at Sanofi Diabetes, said: “For children with type 1 diabetes who are resistant to testing this new app could help manage their condition with the promotion of better behaviours to supplement and support their daily regimen. We see this new app as a solution that promotes better outcomes.”
Michael Fergusso, CEO of Ayogo Health, which co-developed the game alongside Sanofi UK and charity group Diabetes UK, said: “As game designers, watching children play Monster Manor has been very satisfying, as the kids tell us that it’s fun and they want to keep playing.
“But for us, fun is only a means to an end; the goal ultimately is to improve health outcomes for the children we work for.”