Diabetes prevalence is higher in Wirral compared to England (6.5% or 17,504 patients in Wirral, compared to 6.2% of the England population aged over 17 in 2013/14) and is increasing year on year due to an ageing population and levels of obesity.
At the centre of Healthy Wirral’s vision around diabetes care and prevention is the ground-breaking digital platform and behaviour change tool ‘Puffell’: a free online interactive resource built around behavioural economics and social communications.
Nominated as a national innovation case study by NHS England, Puffell is a self-care ecosystem and provides advice, tools and trackers, combined with an online community of support, for people to self-manage their health and wellbeing. As part of a wider transformational plan around the management of diabetes in Wirral led by the Healthy Wirral team, a special diabetes app (or ‘deck’) within Puffell is being developed to help citizens reduce their risk of developing diabetes or, for those already diagnosed, to self-manage their condition through education and lifestyle changes. The deck will also act as a helpful resource for patients’ partners, families and wider peer groups to find out more about the condition and ways to support people with diabetes. Users will be able to gain useful advice on healthier living through diet and exercise and create their own online support and social groups.
One of the key features of the diabetes deck is the tracking function, where users can record both clinical information, such as blood glucose levels, medical appointment reminders, weight and exercise as well as setting more personal goals and aspirations. These tools have been developed with patients to ensure the deck provides them with all the support they need.
The Healthy Wirral team have been working with patients and carers to identify what matters most to them about their diabetes and are developing person centered outcome measures which are also to be included in the deck.
Puffell has been designed in line with the wider social determinants of health and with the New Economics Foundation’s ‘Five Ways to Wellbeing’. It helps people to connect, to be active, take notice of ‘their world’, to keep learning, and to give. By supporting users to self-manage and take greater responsibility for their diabetes and overall health and wellbeing, Puffell aims to reduce the number of hospital admissions and GP appointments across Wirral. As an integral part of Healthy Wirral, it also aims to reduce instances of type 2 diabetes, and type 1 diabetes related health complications, improving self-esteem as people feel more in control and in better health. Puffell is available for anyone to try to manage their own health and wellbeing. See more at puffell.com.
For more information on the Healthy Wirral programme, please visit healthywirral.org.uk or follow @Healthy_Wirral
For more information on Puffell please visit pfl.icecreates.com Contact Stuart Jackson [email protected] 07970 226640