"These accreditations are a guarantee for users and professionals"

Diabetis Mellitus (DM) it is a chronic disease that requires a good metabolic control to eschew or brake possible complications on a long-term basis. The patients require to control along the day their levels of blood glucose. Mobile apps and Contour (Ascensia Diabetes Care) are on ther research to improve this control. Recently Contour Diabetes has successfully approved the TIC Salut Social’s acrrecitation process and we talk to Xavier Llordella, Ascensia Diabetes Care manager.

Xavier Llordella (Ascensia)

• Xavier, which benefits contributes to have a certificate of quality for an app like Contour?

To Ascensia Diabetes Care it is very important to achieve certifications of external quality and recognition by Scientific Societies and Public Administrations. The quality is the principal purpose of the inquest of our products. These certificates confirm us that we are on the correct path.

• Is there a general there is interest at obtaining this type of certifications?

The sanitary tech generates a lot of doubts in security terms. Concerning storage and data protection. Generally, there was not too many interest to obtain these certifications. It always has been a voluntary decision. What boosts these certifications is the requirement of the public administrations.

• Do you have any other certification for this app?

We have the certification of the Agencia de Calidad de Andalucía, which has classified with a Healthy App award. We presented the App though iSYS Foundation, they assessed it from the patient and professional’s point of view considering our tool as one of the top 5 best within its categories. We also have the ISO 27001 that certifies storaging and encryption of data.

• Do you think our certifications process is simple o high demanding in order to obtain the accreditation?

The requirement level it is no easy to get thorugh . There are 120 issues classified into 4 categories (design and usability, technological criteria, data confidentiality and security, and functional contents). It is a very interesting experience that makes you analize your own product critically focusing on constant. It has been grateful obtaining 9,6 out of 10.

• What would excel along the process of accreditation?

The experience has been a big challenge. It made us reaise that adapting a global use app to a local and very specific needs demands a high rank of flexibility. The visualisation of this implementation in local scenarios can not be frgotten during the deveopemnt process of development and implementation: you can not design a product without considering the end user’s needs. Which means patients and healthcare professionals.

• Which were the triggers that pushed you to analize you product thorugh the TIC Salut Social’s accreditation process? Would you recommend it?