AIDA Interactive Educational Freeware Diabetes Simulator - Appendix: Download Surveys / Evaluations

Appendix: Download Surveys / Evaluations

The AIDA developers have undertaken a range of surveys and evaluations of usage of the AIDA diabetes simulator — to better understand who is downloading the program, and why.

One initial study analysed data from 1,360 downloads of the AIDA software. The intended goals of the survey were: (i) to establish the feasibility of using the Internet for auditing and surveying diabetes software users; (ii) to identify the proportion of people with diabetes and their relatives who are actually making use of the program; and (iii) to establish certain technical details about downloaders' computer setups to facilitate the distribution of upgrades to the software. 1,360 responses were received over an 8 month period (from November 1999 to July 2000). During the corresponding period 3,821 actual downloads of the software were independently logged at the Website — giving a response rate to this survey of 35.6%. Responses were received from participants in 67 countries — although over half of these (n=730, 54%) originated from the USA and UK. 762 responses (56%) were received from people with diabetes and 184 (13.5%) from relatives of patients, with lesser numbers from doctors, students, diabetes educators, nurses, pharmacists, and other end users. Useful technical information about computers and operating systems being used were also obtained. The initial study established the feasibility of using the Internet to survey, at no real cost, a large number of medical software downloaders / users. In addition it yielded interesting data in terms of who are the main downloaders of the AIDA program, and has also provided technical (computer) information which aided the release of a freeware upgrade to the software.

A second study audited 2,437 separate downloads of the AIDA program. The Internet-based survey methodology was confirmed to be robust and reliable. Over a 7.5-month period (from mid-July 2000 to early March 2001) 2,437 responses were received. During the corresponding period 4,100 actual downloads of the software were independently logged via the same route at the AIDA Website — giving a response rate to this audit of 59.4%. Responses were received from participants in 61 countries — although over half of these (n 5 1,533; 62.9%) originated from the United States and United Kingdom. Of these responses 1,361 (55.8%) were received from people with diabetes and 303 (12.4%) from relatives of patients, with fewer responses from doctors, diabetes educators, students, nurses, pharmacists, and other end users. This study has confirmed the feasibility of using the Internet to survey, at no real cost, a large number of medical software downloaders / users. In addition, it yielded up-to-date and interesting data about who are the main downloaders of the AIDA program.

A third study surveyed downloaders of a more recent release of the program (AIDA v4.3a). Over a 1-year period (from March 2001 to February 2002) in total 3,864 responses were received. During the corresponding period some 8,578 actual downloads of the software were independently logged via the same route at the AIDA Website, giving a response rate for this survey of 45%. Responses were received from participants in 66 countries — over half of these (n=2,137; 55.3%) were from the United States and the United Kingdom. There were 2,318 responses (60.0%) received from people with diabetes and 443 (11.5%) from relatives of patients, with fewer responses from doctors, students, diabetes educators, nurses, pharmacists, and other end users. The authors concluded that the study highlighted "considerable interest amongst patients and their relatives to learn more about balancing insulin and diet in diabetes, as well as possibly to get more involved in self-management of insulin dosages. More computer applications that can cater for this interest in diabetes patient self-care need to be developed and made available. The Internet provides an ideal medium for the distribution of such educational tools".