Proposal for a Gamified Software Architecture for Diabetes Self-care: Case Study in Panama

Diabetes is a disease characterized by a lack of insulin, which increases the amount of sugar in the blood, over time, causes irreversible health problems that can seriously affect the heart, eyesight, and kidneys. The WHO estimates that 62 million people in the America live with type 2 diabetes or diabetes mellitus (DM). This figure has tripled in the region since 1980 and is estimated to reach 109 million by 2040. The prevalence has increased faster in low-income and medium-income countries than in high-income countries. In the Republic of Panama around 1300 people die each year due to diabetes. Patient health self-care which, accompanied by constant medical checks, exercising periodically, eating a healthy and balanced diet, are vital strategies to overcome this illness so that patients can improve their quality of life. We present a proposal for the design and development of a software architecture for the self-care of Panamanian patients with diabetes, from which the patient can acquire knowledge about the illness and in this way, it will help improve their quality of life. A prototype of the mobile application has been carried out and a validation process has been carried out specifically on the user's usability experience using the MUAQ questionnaire, obtaining many good results.