This is a guest post from Jazzmine Hale with the company, The Diabetes App. The App was founded by CEO, Sean Zaboroski, last July after watching a loved one struggle after being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes later in life. Zaboroski discovered there was little support to help people take on 24/7 management. He decided himself to develop a platform that could, and would, support people in the diabetes community. The Diabetes App is that platform. 

From Jazzmine:

“These days we keep hearing about the negative effects of social media, but we all know it can be extremely helpful too, particularly when it comes to our health. So I’d like to tell you about The Diabetes App, it’s one app where you have many resources, including the ear of health professionals, to help you manage your life with diabetes. We also have big plans this summer to include the ability to purchase supplies right on the app.

That will be just one of the many services on The Diabetes App. Multiple services in one place, and community, are our two priorities. On The App you’ll find dedicated groups for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes to connect with each other, as well as groups for loved ones, parents who have diabetes themselves and/or have a child with diabetes. There is also a group where everyone affected by diabetes, all types as well as supporters, can find each other. 

What you will find on The Diabetes App

Here are some of the resources available:

• Diabetes technology
• Meal plans & recipes
• Exercise videos
• Podcasts
• Articles & blog posts 
• Livestreams
• Health professionals’ guidance
• Discussions with peers

Health professionals engage with you

The App has physicians, nurses, pharmacists, mental health professionals, diabetes health coaches and educators, fitness trainers and dietitians ready to answer your questions and provide up-to-date information and advice. 

You’ll find them in the “Find A Professional” section of the app or on a livestream. Livestreams occur weekly and are hosted by a health professional or member of the diabetes community.  Livestreams cover topics like, “Ask the Endo,” technology reviews, and fun stuff, like paint night, cooking classes, even makeup tutorials! And if you miss a livestream, you can find it in the livestream archive to watch and re-watch whenever you like. 

How The Diabetes App is different from other apps

The App was designed to simplify the search for resources and support, and to eliminate the need to use multiple apps to manage diabetes. In our dedication to creating community and the sharing of information we encourage users to post a podcast or a blog, or other social media accounts that they find valuable. Users can also directly message any member of The Diabetes App team regarding questions, feedback, or requests for something that you’d like to see added to the app. 

Currently there are 10,000 users and this summer version 2 will be launched as mentioned earlier. It will include an e-commerce feature to allow users to purchase their supplies within the app, and a future update will also include a diet and lifestyle tracker. 

You can access The Diabetes App for free on your phone (available in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store) or via desktop.  

We know diabetes is a condition where we do better working together. We hope The Diabetes App can be that for you – a platform to make new friends, meet your peers, take advantage of our professionals, and find all the resources and information you need to make your everyday management a little easier, and your triumphs more frequent!”  

Note: In full disclosure, I (riva) don’t use diabetes apps, but you may find it useful for you.