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Reporter: Millie Norton was just six years old when she was diagnosed with Type-1 1)Diabetes.
And, whilst diabetics have been self-monitoring for years, the latest gadgets offer more high-tech control. Two years ago she switched from 2)insulin injections to a blood 3)glucose reader that connects to a continuous glucose pump via Bluetooth. It calculates how much insulin above her base dose is required and, at the touch of a button, delivers it.
Millie Norton: It’s completely, completely changed my life. Like, the difference it’s made, it’s been massive. Before I went on it, I probably wouldn’t have been able to go to college and 4)sit my[1]A-Levels, ’cause I would have been too ill. And there’s no way I would have been able to come to university. When I was injections before, it becomes a big 5)chore, ’cause you have to stick to, like, certain times of eating, and finding places where you can go and discretely kind of inject yourself. And especially at the time it was, when I was at school, you’d get, like, people would make comments and stuff, and whereas with this, it’s just, I have freedom to eat when I want and what I want, which has made quite a big difference. And also I can just get the glucose metre out, and ’cause it’s Bluetooth, it looks like a phone, so people will just assume that I’m playing around on a phone. Like, no one has to know anymore, which is quite nice.
Cathy Moulton(Clinical Adviser): What we have worried about in the past is people just testing their blood glucose, seeing what it is, and doing nothing about it. With the advance of technology, and seeing all this development, people are so much more interested in what is going on, and they’re acting on what their results are.
Millie: I don’t need as much input from the doctors anymore, because I can get up on-screen, and, like graphs, so if I saw that I was waking up in the morning and my blood sugar was a bit higher than it should be, I can then think, well I clearly need more insulin overnight, and then just program, via the metre—I don’t have to go in to the pump anymore—and can just tell it that I need, like, a few more units.
Reporter: Although Millie’s was provided by her doctor, developments have made it to the consumer market too. This glucose reader instantly sends its readings via a free 2G connection to a secure on-line portal. And if you want to keep all your medical data in one place, Microsoft [2]Health Vault is one of a handful of web sites that can provide a secure place for all your readings, with the option of giving doctors or family access too.
It’s not just about monitoring existing conditions, either; there is also an opportunity here for us all to become more healthaware. The FitBit is a piece of 6)wearable tech that monitors every step you take, including stairs, so might just encourage you to make that extra bit of effort. Then you can work out whether you’ve earned that chocolate 7)muffin or not. By logging onto your account, you have to own up to what you’ve been eating, and it’ll match up energy used with your 8)intake. If you’re willing to wear it 24/7, it can even monitor your sleep.
It’s not just about hardware, either. This app allows your phone’s camera to measure your heart rate. It works by monitoring colour changes in the light that passes through your finger.
It’s all very well logging all this data, but what am I actually meant to do with it? 72 beats per minute. Is that normal?
Dr. Calre: There are limits, of course, because whilst you might be able to measure things, it doesn’t mean you’ll be able to diagnose what’s wrong with you or even what the measurement might mean, so it’s always a balance, it’s a balance between self-care but also understanding that sometimes you do need to see a doctor or a health professional to get yourself sorted.
Reporter: Well, maybe it was a bit optimistic of me to think an app a day could keep the doctor away.
记者：米莉·诺顿六岁的时候就被诊断患有Ⅰ型糖尿病。
糖尿病患者自我检测血糖以控制病情早不是什么新鲜事了，而一些最新的技术玩意能为此提供更为高科技的手段。 两年前，米莉不再一次次地去注射胰岛素，而是使用一款便捷的血糖仪作监控，通过蓝牙连接胰岛素持续注射泵。这一装置能计算在基础剂量之上她还需要多少胰岛素,只需轻触按键便能注射相应的剂量。
米莉·诺顿：这完全、彻底改变了我的生活。带来的改变，真是巨大。没用这仪器之前，我可能就没法到学院去上课，连高考也参加不成，因为身体根本就撑不住，更别说像现在这样到大学里面来。以前注射胰岛素是每天的烦事，因为你得规规矩矩按时进食，然后找地方小心翼翼地给自己注射。尤其以前在学校里，这样做老是有人会指指点点，风言风语的。现在，有这好家伙，我爱吃什么，爱什么时候吃都可以了，跟以前是天渊之别呀。这血糖仪还可以随身带出门去，因为用的是蓝牙连接，而外观就像普通手机一样，戴在身上，别人也就以为你在玩手机而已，也不需要再向旁人解释一大通，这样很好。
凯蒂·莫尔顿（临床顾问）：我们过去担心的是大家只知道检测血糖水平，纵然了解自己的病情，却坐视不理。科技的进步带来这一切的发展，大家对这些技术应用潮流的兴趣剧增，也开始对自己的检测结果有所行动。
米莉：现在我不需要那么依赖医生的意见了，因为我可以直接在屏幕上看到，图形数据之类的，比如说早上起来如果看到我的血糖值比正常偏高，我会想，显然头天晚上我需要多一点胰岛素，于是我会对血糖仪更改设定，就能让仪器知道我需要增加几份剂量的胰岛素，根本不需要调整注射泵。
记者：虽然米莉手边的这台血糖仪是医生提供她使用的，但相应的产品开发已经登陆消费者市场。这款血糖仪能把病者自测的数据通过2G通讯网络瞬时传送到一个安全的门户网站。而假若你想把自己的医疗数据存储到一个安全的网络空间去，那微软的Health Vault是几个这样的网站之一，还可以选择把自己的数据对医生或家人开放。
除了有利于对自己身体现况的监测之外，这些科技应用手段还创造机会令大家更注重健康。FitBit是一款可佩戴身上的科技产品，能监控计算你迈出的每一步，包括走了多少级楼梯，鼓励你多锻炼身体，然后你可以衡量一下自己够运动量来抵消之前吃下去的巧克力松饼了没。登录自己的账户，之前吃的一切得如实交代，然后，程序会对应你进食的内容计算所需的能量。如果你愿意24小时全天候戴着这玩意儿，它还能检测你的睡眠呢。
出彩的也不只是一些硬件仪器。这款智能手机应用程序可以让手机摄像镜头给你测量心率，原理是监测穿透手指的光线其颜色的变化。
记录这一切数据是不成问题了，但是应该用来干什么呢？每分钟72次的心跳，那算正常吗？
克莱尔医生：当然还是有局限性的，因为虽然你可以测出一些数据来，但并不意味着你可以诊断出自己的问题何在，甚至对数值本身的意义也不懂。所以得有个平衡，在自我护理的同时也要明白，有时候找医生或医疗专业人士来巡诊问病还是必要的。
记者：如此说来，当初以为“开启手机应用，无需高明郎中”，我还是有点儿过分乐观了。
[1] A-Levels 英国高中课程（General Certificate of Education Advanced Level）的简称。它是英国普通中等教育证书考试高级水平课程，是英国的全民课程体系，也是英国学生的大学入学考试课程，就像我国的高考一样
[2] Health Vault 微软提供的免费在线服务。允许用户收集、管理自己和家人的健康和身体状况信息并从中获益
