Board game lets diabetics map a healthy future
Patient groups find teaching technique helps them learn more about their condition and allows them to share issues with other sufferers
It may be unconventional, but for some patients a board game has helped them to cope with diabetes a little better.
"I got to understand the complete process of treating diabetes … and how winding the path can be," said Tang Chiu-si after playing the game. Tang was part of a two-month trial of the Diabetes Conversation Map Programme in the summer of 2010.
Similar to the popular board game Monopoly, the game requires players to deal with different tasks as they proceed through the stages. When a player picks a "diabetes myth" card - for example, diabetes is caused by sweet food - they have to explain whether it was true or not.
In this case, sweet food does not cause diabetes, but it can lead to obesity, which increases the risk of the disease.
"Compared to just talking to doctors, I remember the instructions better with this map," said the 61-year-old patient who has been fighting the disease for at least 10 years.
Ann Lau Lai-yee, another 60-year-old patient who took part in the trial with Tang, said she enjoyed the interaction with other patients in the group when they discussed the disease. "I feel more empathy from the others." Diabetes Hong Kong, a charity that supports diabetes patients and promotes public awareness, plans to launch this interactive education programme again next year, with the help of Operation Santa Claus, the annual fundraising event organised jointly by the and RTHK.
