Abstract of a paper titled "Socio-Cultural Factors in Diabetes Care in South Korea":

"In this study, the author reports findings and design outcomes from a 16-week healthcare design course led by two instructors in collaboration with medical experts at a tertiary medical institution. The research team investigated South Korean sociocultural factors that adversely affect people’s health and trigger diabetes onset: excessive working hours and drinking culture, social stigma and patients’ hiding behaviours, and reliance on unverified information from online communities. The same factors also pose serious difficulties in diabetes patients’ diet and exercise management. To address the problems, students proposed four design concepts: (1) a portable, integrated blood glucose meter and insulin pen, (2) a mobile application for verified diabetes information from licensed medical personnel, (3) a smart lunch system for safe out-of-home meals, and (4) an improved design of health check-up report format for patients with low health literacy."

Socio-Cultural Factors in Diabetes Care in South Korea (Hahn)