Diabetes Pilot for Windows Mobile Instructions

These instructions describe the various features in Diabetes Pilot for Windows Mobile.  Take a few minutes to look through the following pages to find out about the functions in the program and how to use them.

If you have questions that are not answered here, please visit our support center.

Entering Data

This section explains how to record your data in Diabetes Pilot. Diabetes Pilot can track your glucose, food, medication, exercise, and nearly any other type of information that you'd like to record.

Creating a new entry

Recording and Editing Data on the Details Screen

Food Records

Creating a new entry

To record a new data item, simply click on one of the buttons at the bottom of the main screen:

For more information on entering the details of these items see Recording and Editing Data below.

To edit an existing item, tap on the record:

When you enter a new item change an existing one, it may or may not be immediately visible in the list on the main screen. The display on the main screen depends on the filter settings that you have set - see Displaying Your Data for more information.

Recording and Editing Data on the Details Screen

Diabetes Pilot allows you to record information in as much or as little detail as you would like - it provides for both quick data entry as well as the ability to record additional details when needed.

When you create a new record, a detail screen will appear. The date and time will be set to the current time, and the value field will be highlighted. Enter the value for the item:

If you've set Diabetes Pilot to calculate insulin requirements (See Setting Preferences), the insulin calculation will be displayed when entering a glucose or food record. The calculation is updated when you change the value on the data entry screen.

You can enter notes in the space provided. If you are entering a note record, the first portion of the note will be displayed in the list on the main screen.

A category for each record can be also be selected. This category can be use to categorize records in any manner that is useful to you. You may want to use the category to identify records by time of day (breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc). The category list can be customized however you would like. To customize the category list, finish entering your record. Then, click on the "Tools" menu on the main screen and select "Edit Categories...".

Tap "OK" when you are done making your entry. You will return to the main screen. Tapping on "Cancel" returns you to the previous screen without saving your changes.

Tapping on the "Delete" button will delete the displayed record.

Food Records

When adding a food record, a button labeled "Build meal..." will appear on the details screen. Tapping on this button takes you to the Meal Details screen, where individual food items can be entered and the total carbohydrate content of the meal will be calculated for you.

To build a meal, add a new food by using one of the tools at the top of the screen:

An extensive food reference is available by tapping on the "Lookup..." button. Tapping this button takes you to the food database. Find the food that you are looking for, select it from the list and tap "Use Food". You will be returned to the Meal Details form and the food will added to the meal. Then, just adjust the number of servings for the food as necessary. See Using the Food Database for more information about the food database and how to use and personalize it. Many of the food descriptions are abbreviated. This conserves your handheld's memory and allows the food descriptions to fit in the available screen space. You can get a list of the abbreviations here.

To see more of a food description that's larger than the screen, tap and hold the stylus on the item.

Foods can be quickly entered by selecting them from the "Favorites" dropdown list near the top of the screen. To use this feature, you'll need to mark some of the foods in the database as favorites. See Using the Food Database for more information.

Use the "Quick" button to quickly add a food to the list. (If you do this, you'll need to enter in the nutrition information yourself.)

After adding a food to the meal, adjust the number of servings by tapping on the food in the list, and writing a new value in the space provided or by using the "+", "-", and "+0.5" buttons. You can enter a decimal value ("0.5", "0.3", etc) for the values if needed. You can also edit the nutritional information as necessary by writing in new values.

To remove a food, tap on the food in the list, then choose "remove" from the "Meal" menu at the bottom of the screen.

There are three different views available in the "build meal" screen. Select the view by choosing an option from the "Meal" menu at the bottom of the screen:

The nutrition information related to the selected view is displayed near the bottom of the screen. The following information is shown at all times:

In addition, a drop-down list provides access to additional nutrition information. Use the drop-down list to select the additional nutrition information for viewing or editing. The following items are available:

To save a meal for future use:

  1. Tap on the "Meal" menu at the bottom of the screen.
  2. Select "Save this Meal" from the menu.
  3. Enter a name for the meal, then tap the "OK" button.

To recall a previously saved meal:

  1. Tap on the "Meal" menu at the bottom of the screen.
  2. Select "Load a saved meal" from the menu.
  3. Select the meal you wish to recall, then tap the "Use" button.

To delete a previously saved meal:

  1. Tap on the "Meal" menu at the bottom of the screen.
  2. Select "Load a saved meal" from the popup menu.
  3. Select the meal you wish to delete, then from the menu at the bottom of the screen, choose "Delete"

 

Displaying Your Data

This section explains how to control the display of your data in Diabetes Pilot. Diabetes Pilot provides several different filtering options for displaying your data. This allows you to focus on the information that is important to you at a particular moment, without being distracted by other data that you may have recorded.

Display Filters

Scrolling the Display

Display Filters

To display all of your records on the main screen, tap on the "Show: All" button at the top of the screen.

To display a filtered selection of your records on the main screen, tap on the "Show: Selected Records..." button at the top of the main screen. This will display a screen where you can choose which records are displayed:

To control which dates are displayed, select an item from the list labeled "Display these dates".

To control which record types are displayed, check the boxes next to the types you wish to display in the box labeled "Display these record types"

To control which record types are displayed, check the boxes next to the categories you wish to display in the box labeled "Display these categories". Note that you may need to use the scroll bar along the right side of the box to access all of the categories in the list.

A record must match all of the filter criteria to be displayed.

Click on the "Show All" to allow all of the records to be shown. If you're having trouble finding a record that you think should appear in the list, click this button so that all of the records are displayed - this may help you locate what you're looking for.

Use the "Show None" button to deselect all of your categories and record types. This provides a convenient starting point for when you want to display just a few records.

Scrolling the Display

If you've selected more records that can fit on a single screen, a scrollbar will be visible along the right side of the record list. Slide the bar up and down or tap on the bar's arrows to scroll the list and view all of the records.

Setting Preferences

Diabetes Pilot allows you to set several different options in the program. These options can customize the behavior of Diabetes Pilot to your needs and help save you time while entering data.

General Preferences

Display Preferences

Insulin Calculation Settings

General Preferences

To set general program preferences, select "Preferences..." from the "Tools" menu. The general preferences screen allows you to set several options that determine how Diabetes Pilot works:

Display Preferences

The general preferences screen allows you to set several options that determine how data is displayed on the main screen:

Insulin Calculation Settings

Diabetes Pilot can calculate an estimated insulin dose when you are entering a glucose reading or a meal. These calculations are based solely on parameters that you enter. To use the insulin calculation features, these parameters must be configured for your personal needs, and the feature must be turned on.

The insulin calculation feature is provided as an educational tool that some people may find useful. It is not appropriate for everyone or for all circumstances. THE INSULIN CACLULATION FUNCTION IS A SIMPLE CALCULATION, MUCH LIKE YOU MIGHT PERFORM YOURSELF USING A POCKET CALCULATOR - IT IS NOT INTENDED AS MEDICAL ADVICE AND SHOULD NOT BE USED AS SUCH. If you do not understand this feature, please do not use it. If you do not understand what values to use on the configuration screen, please consult your doctor. In any case, by using Diabetes Pilot, you agree to assume full responsibility for your health care and you agree that Diabetes Pilot and its authors are not liable for any direct or indirect consequences of any results (correct or incorrect) returned by the program.

ALWAYS VERIFY THE CALCULATIONS WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN OR HEALTH PRACTITIONER.

Please note that the insulin calculations presented by the program when you are making glucose and meal entries consider only the current entry. The calculations do not consider any other factors, such as exercise, previous doses, previous food, or other circumstances that could significantly affect the amount of insulin that is required. You must use your own judgement to account for these various factors.

To configure the insulin calculation feature, select "Insulin Calculation..." from the "Tools" menu on the main screen. The configuration screen will be displayed:

Editing Categories

Diabetes Pilot allows you to categorize your records however you would like. Many people like to use these categories to group their records by time of day. However, you can change the category names to anything that you'd like.

To edit the category list:

  1. From the "Tools" menu, select "Edit Categories..."
  2. Use the New, Delete, and Rename buttons to modify the list.

Because you can use any category name you want, Diabetes Pilot does not automatically know how to order the categories in reports. You need to tell Diabetes Pilot the order that you'd like the categories to appear.

To change the order of the categories in reports:

  1. From the "Tools" menu, select "Edit Categories..."
  2. Select a category by clicking on it in the list.
  3. Use the "Move Up" and "Move Down" buttons to change the order of the category.
  4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the categories are listed in the order that you want them to appear

Using the Food Database

This section explains how to use the Diabetes Pilot food database. The food database provides reference information on thousands of foods. You can add your own foods to the database and customize it to meet your needs.

Accessing the Food Database

Finding Foods

Adding New Foods and Groups

Marking Foods as Favorites

Organizing the Database

Accessing the Food Database

The food database can be accessed in two different ways:

  1. From the main screen, select "Food Database" from the "Tools" menu. This will display the food database and allow you to look up food information and do things like add, edit, and organize the foods and mark foods as favorites.
  2. When you are building a new meal entry (see Food Records) tapping on the "Lookup food..." button will display the food database. You'll be able to do all of the functions listed above. In addition, you can select a food from the database and tap the "Use food" button to add it to the meal.

Finding Foods

You can locate foods in the food database in several different ways:

Option 1: Browse through the foods by category.

To browse through the foods by category, click on the "Browse by Group" tab near the bottom of the listings. This displays an organized listing of the foods and groups. Food groups are indicated by a yellow folder icon. Foods are indicated by a black fork and knife icon or, if the food is marked as a favorite, by a "smiley" icon.

To open a group and see its contents, double click on the group's name or click on the small "+" icon next to the group name. To close a group double-click on the group name, or click on the "-" icon next to the group name. You can close all of the groups by clicking the "Collapse All" button at the bottom of the listings.

To select a food, click on the food's name.

Option 2: Search for foods by name.

To search for foods by name, click on the "Search" tab near the bottom of the listings. This displays a box labeled "Search:" and a blank space for food listings. Enter a few letters of the food you are looking for in the "Search" box, then tap the "Go" button. The food database will be searched for what you enter. Any food or group containing your search letters will be displayed in the search box. You will usually have better results with the search feature if you enter just a few letters of a food name - this way, the food will appear in the results even if it is named a bit differently than you'd expect. This is a good way to find a food if you can't find it by browsing.

To select a food, click on it in the search result list.

Option 3: Display a list of the foods you have marked as favorites.

To do this, click on the "Favorites List" tab. A list of the foods that you've marked as favorites will be displayed. To select a food, click on it in the list.

See Marking Foods as Favorites for more information.

To see more of a food description that's larger than the screen, tap and hold the stylus on the item.

Adding New Foods and Groups

To add a new food or group to the food database, use the "Browse by Group" tab in the food database. Start by browsing to the location where you would like the new item added (see Finding Foods above). Select the group in which you would like to add the new item.

To add a new group, choose "New Group" from the "New" menu at the bottom of the screen, enter a name for the new group, and press the enter key.

To add a new food, choose "New Food" from the "New" menu at the bottom of the screen, enter a name for the new food, and press the enter key. Then, fill out the food information screen that appears and tap the "OK" button.

Marking Foods as Favorites

When a food is marked as a favorite, it will appear in the "Favorites List" tab. It will also appear with a "smiley" icon next to it in the food database list. To mark a food as a favorite:

  1. Find the food in the database (see Finding Foods above).
  2. Select the food (by tapping on it to highlight it)
  3. Choose "Mark as Favorite" from the "Food" menu at the bottom of the screen.

To remove a food from the favorites list, select it and chose the "Mark as Favorite" menu item again. The food will be removed from the favorites list.

Organizing and Customizing the Food Database

Several functions are available to help you organize and customize the food database.

To delete a food from the database:

  1. Find the food in the database (see Finding Foods above).
  2. Select the food (by tapping on it to highlight it)
  3. Choose "Delete" from the "Food" menu.

To edit the name or data associated with a food or group:

  1. Find the food in the database (see Finding Foods above).
  2. Select the food or group (by tapping on it to highlight it)
  3. Select "Edit Selected Item" from the "Food" menu.
  4. Make the changes that you desire to the food or group data.
  5. Tap the OK button.

Reports - Analyzing Your Data

Diabetes Pilot provides several methods for you to review your data and assess your blood sugar control over time. These reports can be selected from the main screen under the "Reports" menu.

Averages Report

Range Report

Category Report

Medication Report

Food Report

Glucose Graph

Averages Report

This report shows your average blood sugar for the past 7, 30, 60, and 90 days. This report should not take the place of tests recommended by your doctor such as glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c).

The report will also display a rough "best guess" estimate of your HbA1C. Because this estimate is based only on the data that you've entered, it may be inaccurate in certain circumstances depending on your data entry patterns. It's intended for informational purposes only - you shouldn't rely on it for medical decision-making purposes or as a subsitute for actual HbA1C testing.

Range report

This report shows the portion of your glucose measurements that fall within the ranges that you've specified in the Preferences screen. Note that the total of the percentages shown may not add up to 100 percent because you may have some readings that are neither high, low, nor in your specified target range.

You can specify the date range to analyze by tapping on the "Start Date" and "End Date" items.

Category Report

The category report analyzes your readings based on their category. If you have been using the category feature to categorize your records as you enter them, this report may help you find patterns in your readings. See Recording and Editing Data for more information on using categories.

Use the "Show" dropdown list next to select the measure that you are interested in. You can choose from the following items:

You can specify the date range to analyze by tapping on the "Start Date" and "End Date" items.

Medication Report

The Medication Report shows the totals of each of your medications over a selected date range.

To adjust the dates that are included, use the date controls located near the top of the screen.

Food Report

You can create a report that shows the nutritional content of the meals you've entered. To do this, choose "Food Report".

To adjust the dates that are included, use the date controls located near the top of the screen.

Glucose Graph

To create a graph of your glucose readings, choose "Glucose Graph" . A line graph of your glucose readings will be displayed.

To adjust the dates that are graphed, use the drop-down list located above the graph.

To step through the dates sequentially, use the up/down buttons on your handheld.

To find out the details about a graph point, tap and hold your stylus on the graph points - the details will be displayed below the graph.

Backing Up Your Data

Because your handheld device may be damaged, lost, or experience problems such as the battery running down, we recommend that you back up your data periodically if it is important to you. There are several ways to do this. The options are described below:

Option 1: Use the Diabetes Pilot Desktop Software

Using Diabetes Pilot Desktop is the easiest way to backup your handheld data. The desktop software provides a mechanism to transfer your data from your handheld to your desktop computer. Connect your handheld to your computer, then use the transfer function in the desktop software to transfer your data from your handheld to the desktop (click here for instructions on this feature). This gives you a backup copy of your handheld data and it also allows you to analyze and print the data using your desktop computer.

To restore your data, you can simply choose to perform the data transfer in the other direction (i.e. from your desktop to your handheld) within the desktop software.

Diabetes Pilot Desktop is sold separately from the handheld software. Click here for more information on Diabetes Pilot Desktop.

Option 2: Use the Backup utility that may be included with your handheld

Many handhelds include software that can back up the data on your device. If your handheld came with backup software, you may be able to use this software to back up your Diabetes Pilot data.

This backup software, if provided, is supplied by the manufacturer of your device and is independent from Diabetes Pilot. So, check the information that came with your device or check with the manufacturer of your handheld for instructions on using it. We cannot provide detailed instructions for the software that may be included on your particular device.

If you use this option, be sure that your backup includes either (1) "All" of the files on your device, (2) the "Program Files" folder, (3) "Programs and Data", or some similar setting. If your backup includes only the "My Documents" folder or "Databases" folder, it's likely that it will not backup all of the data that you need to retain your Diabetes Pilot records.

To restore your data using this option, you would use the restore function within your backup software.

Option 3: Copy the data file to an alternate location

If you're an advanced user and are familiar with the concepts described below, you may wish to use this option.

You can back up your Diabetes Pilot Data by making a copy of the data file on your handheld. The data file is located at "\Program Files\Diabetes Pilot\DiabetesPilotData.dpd" on your handheld. To copy the file to your desktop computer, do the following:

1) Connect your handheld to your desktop computer. Make sure that the ActiveSync connection is active.

2) Open "My Computer" on your desktop computer by clicking on the "My Computer" icon on the desktop background or within the "Start" menu on your desktop computer.

3) In the "My Computer" window, click on "Mobile Device"

4) In the Mobile Device window, click on "My Pocket PC". Then navigate to "Program Files", then "Diabetes Pilot".

5) In the Diabetes Pilot window, you'll see a file named "DiabetesPilotData.dpd". Drag this file from the window to a location on your desktop computer. The file will be copied there and will serve as a backup copy of your handheld data.

To restore your data using this option, perform the steps above, but reverse the process in step 5 (drag the file from its location on your desktop computer to the handheld window).

Note that the desktop backup data file created with this method cannot be opened directly in any software on your desktop - it is simply a backup of the handheld data.