The 24 million Americans with diabetes, plus another 57 million with pre-diabetes, now have a mobile application designed to help them live healthy.

Sensei's My Diabetes Guide informs patients about what to do, what to know, what to eat and what to ask their doctors. It personally guides diabetics to better diabetes self-management.

"Our strategy is to try to provide innovative ways for health and wellness," said Bob Schwarzberg, CEO of Sensei, Boca Raton, FL. "There is a lot of useful information out there on the Web, but it is hard to get through all of it.

"The application helps diabetics implement healthy living into their everyday lives by making good decisions regarding their health," he said.

All content is downloaded directly to the mobile phone in a well organized, user-friendly manner.

The iPod touch and iPhone application is now available for download at the App Store in iTunes for 99 cents.

My Diabetes Guide will soon be available on other mobile phones as well.

"My Diabetes Guide is a comprehensive tool that takes patients and those involved in their care, one screen at a time through all fundamentals of diabetes management," Mr. Schwarzberg said.

"Physicians, dietitians and diabetes educators from Joslin reviewed the diabetes content and our tech experts built an application that gives users the best chance to succeed in the evolving person-centric healthcare system," he said.

With daily and weekly reminders, the My Diabetes Guide user should be less likely to have the stress of everyday life interfere with the regular self-management tasks to be performed.

Prompted to complete a list of "To Do's" such as monitor glucose levels, take medications and check feet and weight, the user develops a consistently positive behavior pattern, according to Sensei.

Patients can also log their data immediately into the program to ensure an accurate, timely recording of vital statistics.

My Diabetes Guide helps to prepare the person with diabetes for doctors' visits with a thorough checklist of items to bring, questions to ask the medical team, and what to expect at a check-up.

The "To Know" screen teaches users to effectively communicate with their physicians and develop a productive working relationship.

"Research shows that there is a gap between what diabetes patients know to do and what they actually execute," Mr. Schwarzberg said.

The "To Eat" screen teaches users how to make smart nutrition decisions.

"Mobile I think has distinct advantages in terms of health because it touches people wherever they are," Mr. Schwarzberg said. "Mobile is the ultimate personal communication channel.

"The amount of information on the Web about healthcare is too much to digest but mobile's small screen is actually a plus in this case - it makes it easier to sift through the content," he said. "We are transforming into a teacher and a coach, giving advice and encouragement when people need it most."