Abstract
Diabetes, a massive problem globally, is noted by the WHO as the silent epidemic. By 2020, there would be a 54% rise in individuals diagnosed with this disease between 2010 and 2020 (WHO, Report, 2016; WHO, Report, 2017; Lancet, 2016). These alarming figures have significant repercussions for the quality of life at the individual level as well as the financial stress of healthcare systems. In today’s technology age, it behoves us to look at opportunities to use IS/IT (information systems/information technology) solutions to facilitate and support initiatives aimed at ameliorating this bleak situation, but to date, mobile solutions appear to be failing to deliver as expected. A major reason for this is because these solutions have omitted to address a critical aspect, the ongoing behavioural support required for addressing and maintaining lifestyle changes for people suffering from diabetes. To address this void, the following proffers the need to focus on designing, developing and then deploying a precision, culturally sensitive diabetes support self-management solutions “SAPIENT” in collaboration with the Data for Social Good Cloud Innovation Centre (CIC) partnership with Amazon Web services (AWS) at Swinburne University of Technology and a large public hospital in Victoria, Australia. As is presented, not only is the solution designed and developed drawing upon the latest analytics skills and resources, but it also embraces leading methodologies combining design science techniques with Amazon’s unique approach of “working backwards”, coupled with user-centred design and co-creation. In so doing, this longitudinal research project demonstrates responsible IS/IT design, development and deployment to address a pressing global social priority.