Development of a Person-Centered Approach to Diabetes Self-Management for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

This Phase I SBIR project develops and evaluates the Person-Centered Approach to Diabetes Self-Management (PCADS) system, a hardware/software prototype to improve Type 2 diabetes self-management for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Project activities build on a promising pilot study conducted with the Oregon Office on Disability and Health (OOHD) that serves as the basis to develop a system prototype and evaluate its usability and feasibility for full development in Phase II. During Phase I, researchers consult with the OOHD at the Oregon Health and Science University and test with a sample of 20 individuals with IDD and their support staff recruited from throughout Oregon to develop the PCADS. The system utilizes state-of-the-art equipment for monitoring blood sugar levels, building diabetes self-management behaviors, and integrating user data into the PCADS system. Anticipated outcomes include a report on Phase I findings and a prototype of the PCADS system for further SBIR Phase II development and Phase III commercialization.