Diabetes Hands Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Diabetes Hands Foundation ("DHF"), founded in 2008, is a Berkeley, CA-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
that runs diabetes-centric online communities, serving people affected by diabetes either personally or through others. DHF also promotes diabetes awareness. It has two social networks
that reach approximately 150,000 people per month. The Diabetes Hands Foundation is funded through sponsorship income, donations, grants and earned income.
Both sites are built on the Ning platform and are examples of nonprofit online communities. In early 2011 DHF launched a TuDiabetes mobile app and an EsTuDiabetes mobile app for iPhone and Android
mobile devices.
. During the Big Blue Test, people with diabetes test their blood sugar levels, exercise for 14 minutes, test again and share their results. The event is called The Big Blue Test because blue is the color associated with World Diabetes Day. The program aims to raise awareness about diabetes and the importance of exercise in diabetes management every November 14. In 2010, the Big Blue Test was promoted through a video that has received more than 130,000 views to date. DHF won two 2011 Telly Awards
for the Big Blue Test video.
, Diabetes Hands Foundation has partnered with Children's Hospital Boston
to develop TuAnalyze, a diabetes data mapping and surveying application. Members of TuDiabetes submit their Hemoglobin A1C data. The service combines the data and displays the results on maps. Data entered by participants is stored in the Indivo open-source Personally Controlled Health Record ("PCHR") system. The project's goal is to gather information through data donations that can be used by researchers and to raise awareness about diabetes. In late 2010, TuAnalyze was made available in Spanish through EsTuDiabetes, under the name EsTuAnálisis. In early 2011, a research paper detailing the first lessons learned in connection with TuAnalyze was published in the Public Library of Science
.
that aims to help people live healthy lifestyles. The game was developed in 2010 by the Diabetes Hands Foundation in collaboration with the Joslin Diabetes Center
. Players select missions such as stress-reducing or exercise-inducing activities to complete within a given period of time to help create a healthier lifestyle. In November 2010, the game was made available in Spanish. In June 2011, a HealthSeeker mobile app became available for iPhone and Android users.
s in diabetes and the VP for Full Sail University online.
DHF also receives advice from diabetes experts such as Kelly Close
, Kerri Sparling (from Six Until Me
), Huffington Post columnist and diabetes advocate Riva Greenberg, mHealth
Alliance Executive Team Member Jody Ranck, and Luis Fernandez Luque, a senior health informatics researcher at Norut.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
that runs diabetes-centric online communities, serving people affected by diabetes either personally or through others. DHF also promotes diabetes awareness. It has two social networks
Social network service
A social networking service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, who, for example, share interests and/or activities. A social network service consists of a representation of each user , his/her social...
that reach approximately 150,000 people per month. The Diabetes Hands Foundation is funded through sponsorship income, donations, grants and earned income.
TuDiabetes and EsTuDiabetes
TuDiabetes and its Spanish counterpart, EsTuDiabetes, are social networking sites for people touched by diabetes and were established in 2007. TuDiabetes and EsTuDiabetes have more than 20,000 and 14,000 registered members respectively.Both sites are built on the Ning platform and are examples of nonprofit online communities. In early 2011 DHF launched a TuDiabetes mobile app and an EsTuDiabetes mobile app for iPhone and Android
Android Market
Android Market is an online software store developed by Google for Android OS devices. Its gateway is an application program called "Market", preinstalled on most Android devices, allows users to browse and download mobile apps published by third-party developers...
mobile devices.
Diabetes awareness programs
The Diabetes Hands Foundation has developed diabetes awareness programs such as Word In Your Hand, the Big Blue Test, No-Sugar Added Poetry and Making Sense of Diabetes.Word in Your Hand
The Word in Your Hand project invites participants to share photos showing a word in their hands describing life with diabetes. Through the project, people with diabetes along with their family, friends and caregivers describe their feelings towards diabetes. In 2008, DHF licensed the Word in Your Hand trademark to LifeScan, Inc. for use as part of its Global Diabetes Handprint Campaign.Big Blue Test
The Big Blue Test first took place on November 14, 2009, World Diabetes DayWorld Diabetes Day
World Diabetes Day is the primary global awareness campaign of the diabetes mellitus world and is held on November 14 of each year. It was introduced in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization in response to the alarming rise of diabetes around the world...
. During the Big Blue Test, people with diabetes test their blood sugar levels, exercise for 14 minutes, test again and share their results. The event is called The Big Blue Test because blue is the color associated with World Diabetes Day. The program aims to raise awareness about diabetes and the importance of exercise in diabetes management every November 14. In 2010, the Big Blue Test was promoted through a video that has received more than 130,000 views to date. DHF won two 2011 Telly Awards
Telly Awards
The Telly Award is an award presented by the namesake, New York City-based organization. The stated purpose of the award is to "honor the very best local, regional, and cable television commercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film productions, and work created for the Web." The...
for the Big Blue Test video.
No-Sugar Added Poetry
No-Sugar Added Poetry is a book of diabetes poems written by members of TuDiabetes.org with a foreword by William H. Polonsky, founder of the Behavioral Diabetes Institute.Making Sense of Diabetes
To raise diabetes awareness and in preparation for World Diabetes Day 2009 on November 14, DHF held the Making Sense of Diabetes video contest. It sought video entries about life with diabetes through one of the five senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell. It produced a compilation video, showcasing footage from some of the videos for each of the senses.TuAnalyze
Since May 2010, with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services headquartered in Druid Hills, unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, in Greater Atlanta...
, Diabetes Hands Foundation has partnered with Children's Hospital Boston
Children's Hospital Boston
Children's Hospital Boston is a 396-licensed bed children's hospital in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area of Boston, Massachusetts.At 300 Longwood Avenue, Children's is adjacent both to its teaching affiliate, Harvard Medical School, and to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute...
to develop TuAnalyze, a diabetes data mapping and surveying application. Members of TuDiabetes submit their Hemoglobin A1C data. The service combines the data and displays the results on maps. Data entered by participants is stored in the Indivo open-source Personally Controlled Health Record ("PCHR") system. The project's goal is to gather information through data donations that can be used by researchers and to raise awareness about diabetes. In late 2010, TuAnalyze was made available in Spanish through EsTuDiabetes, under the name EsTuAnálisis. In early 2011, a research paper detailing the first lessons learned in connection with TuAnalyze was published in the Public Library of Science
Public Library of Science
The Public Library of Science is a nonprofit open-access scientific publishing project aimed at creating a library of open access journals and other scientific literature under an open content license...
.
HealthSeeker
HealthSeeker is a social game on FacebookFacebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
that aims to help people live healthy lifestyles. The game was developed in 2010 by the Diabetes Hands Foundation in collaboration with the Joslin Diabetes Center
Joslin Diabetes Center
Joslin Diabetes Center is the world’s largest diabetes research center, diabetes clinic, and provider of diabetes education. It is located in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Among the Harvard Medical School Affiliated institutions, Joslin is unique in its sole...
. Players select missions such as stress-reducing or exercise-inducing activities to complete within a given period of time to help create a healthier lifestyle. In November 2010, the game was made available in Spanish. In June 2011, a HealthSeeker mobile app became available for iPhone and Android users.
Awards and recognition
- In 2011, Diabetes Hands Foundation was a Finalist in the Technical Innovation category of the Health Care Heroes awards organized by the San Francisco Business Times.
- In the 2011 Dose of Digital Dosie Awards, TuDiabetes won Silver (Judges' Choice) for Patient Community – Non-Brand Controlled (Communities created with no direct affiliation to a pharma or healthcare company) and was Runner Up (People’s Choice) for Patient Community – Non-Brand Controlled (Communities created with no direct affiliation to a pharma or healthcare company).
- In the Healthcare Engagement Strategy Awards 2011 Diabetes Hands Foundation received the Connecting Patients Award by Creation Interactive.
- In the 2010 Dose of Digital Dosie Awards, TuDiabetes won 2nd place for Best Patient Community - Non-Brand Controlled (for communities with no direct affiliation to a pharma or healthcare company).
- In the 2010 Healthcare Engagement Strategy Awards, TuDiabetes received the Best Patient Community award by Creation Interactive.
- In 2009, Diabetes Hands Foundation was designated as a World Diabetes Day Champion by the International Diabetes Federation.
- TuDiabetes received 2nd place for Niche Social Networking in the 2008 Web 2.0 Awards by SEOmoz.
Board of Directors, advisors
Among its members, the Board of Directors of Diabetes Hands Foundation has a former executive from JDRF, two key Patient Opinion LeaderPatient opinion leader
Patient Opinion Leaders Internet and social groups are becoming widely popular for gaining and spreading knowledge about various aspects of science, day-to-day activities, entertainment and medicine...
s in diabetes and the VP for Full Sail University online.
DHF also receives advice from diabetes experts such as Kelly Close
Kelly Close
Kelly L. Close is an American writer, speaker, and advocate for people with diabetes.Close was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 18. She received a BA in English and Economics from Amherst College in 1990 and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1995...
, Kerri Sparling (from Six Until Me
Six Until Me
Six Until Me is a diabetes blog about the life of patient opinion leader Kerri Morrone Sparling and her experiences with type 1 diabetes. Started in May 2005, Six Until Me is an example of a Health 2.0 and ePatient website...
), Huffington Post columnist and diabetes advocate Riva Greenberg, mHealth
MHealth
mHealth is a term used for the practice of medicine and public health, supported by mobile devices. The term is most commonly used in reference to using mobile communication devices, such as mobile phones and PDAs, for health services and information...
Alliance Executive Team Member Jody Ranck, and Luis Fernandez Luque, a senior health informatics researcher at Norut.