Self–management and Type 1 Diabetes. How Technology Redefines Illness

Abstract

In the last decades, health and illness have been redefined by the technological artefacts. This research explores users’ opinions of the potentials and limits of apps related to the self-management of type 1 diabetes. Our research takes the “app” to be a socio-cultural artefact whose meanings and practices are mediated by situated practices and knowledges. The analysis has been conducted on two different kinds of texts: the description provided by the app itself (commercial description) and the reviews provided by app users (customer reviews). Our aim is thus to contribute to the study of how technological tools contribute to the processes of patients empowerment.