Vision

Mobile technology and wireless medical devices have made it possible to capture health data effortlessly and then instantly transmit it to the cloud, where algorithms can create insights for patients, health care providers, and payers. Applivate's mission is to use automated data capture and cloud-based analytics to transform the management of diabetes and other chronic health problems.

Problem

The first version of our first product is designed for a very specific customer—the parents of children with diabetes—and it solves a very specific problem—knowing that their child is ok when in the care of someone else.

We have chosen the parents of children with diabetes as our initial target customers because raising a child with diabetes is a stressful and exhausting responsibility. Diabetes is unpredictable, so it is impossible for even the most conscientious, well-informed parents to keep their child's BG levels in the appropriate range at all times. The stress is all the greater when the parents and children must be apart. Their children have to go to school. They need to be able to go to their friends' houses to play and have sleepovers. How can parents know that their child is safe? How can they be sure that their child will not experience a sudden drop in BG with catastrophic consequences?

Solution

Our app ShugaTrak gives these parents peace of mind by instantly transmitting each BG reading to them via text message or email. Here’s how ShugaTrak works:

• The child measures BG with their current glucose meter, outfitted with a bluetooth adaptor.

• The ShugaTrak app on the child’s phone transfers the BG reading from the meter to the phone using the bluetooth adaptor.

• The ShugaTrak app sends the reading to the ShugaTrak servers.

• The ShugaTrak servers send text messages or emails to the parents or other designated individuals.

Knowing their child’s BG value puts parents' minds at ease. The parents stay digitally connected to their child even when they must be physically apart.