JAYAPURA, Indonesia — Researchers Mingsep Rante Sampebua and Elvis Pawan from Cenderawasih University, Papua, have developed an Android-based medication management application called Diabetes Buddy for people with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. The application was developed and tested as part of research published in 2026 in the International Journal of Applied Research and Sustainable Sciences (IJARSS). It combines medication reminders, medicine stock management, consumption history, medication guidance, and diabetes education in one smartphone application. The findings show that the application's main functions operated according to the system requirements during functional testing, offering a potential digital tool to support more consistent medication management.
Digital Tools for Long-Term Diabetes Management
Type 2 diabetes mellitus requires long-term management. Patients generally need to follow medication schedules consistently alongside other aspects of treatment and health management.
One practical challenge highlighted by the researchers is remembering to take medication according to schedule. The article notes that medication adherence can be affected by factors such as complex treatment routines, forgetfulness, limited health education, motivation, and difficulties with self-monitoring.
The development of mobile health technology has created new opportunities to support people managing chronic conditions. Smartphone applications can provide reminders, record medication use, provide educational information, and help users monitor aspects of their treatment.
Mingsep Rante Sampebua and Elvis Pawan from the Department of Information Systems, Cenderawasih University, Papua, Indonesia, developed Diabetes Buddy with this digital health context in mind. The application focuses specifically on medication management for people with Type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes Buddy Combines Several Functions
Diabetes Buddy is designed as more than a simple alarm application. It brings several medication-management functions together in one Android platform.
The main features include:
- Automatic medication reminders and alarms
- Medication schedule management
- Medicine stock monitoring
- Medication consumption history
- Medication usage guidance
- Diabetes education
- User profile management
- Medication information
- PDF export for medication history
The application's main interface allows users to enter information such as the medication name, dosage, start date, end date, and consumption time. The system then uses the schedule to generate reminders.
The application also includes an educational section containing basic information about Type 2 diabetes, including its definition, risk factors, common symptoms, and hypoglycemia. The researchers designed the information using relatively simple language to make it easier for users to understand.
Reminder System Records Medication Use
One of the central features of Diabetes Buddy is its medication reminder system.
When the scheduled medication time arrives, the application sends a notification to the user's Android device. The notification provides “YES” and “NO” options.
If the user selects “YES,” the application records that the medication has been taken, automatically updates the medicine stock, and stores the event in the medication consumption history.
If the user selects “NO,” the system records that the reminder was received but the medication schedule was not completed. If the user does not respond, the alarm continues periodically until the user takes action.
This design connects three pieces of information: the medication schedule, the medication stock, and the consumption history.
For example, when a user confirms that a medicine has been taken, the available stock decreases automatically. The application can therefore provide a more organized record of medication use and remaining supplies.
Firebase Supports Real-Time Data
The application uses Firebase Authentication and Firebase Realtime Database to manage user authentication and store application data.
Medication schedules and user information can be synchronized through the database, while Firebase Authentication provides the system's user authentication mechanism.
The researchers also integrated the application with features for medication stock monitoring and medication consumption history. According to the article, this combination allows Diabetes Buddy to integrate cloud services, mobile technology, and automated notifications within one medication-management platform.
The application interface shown in the research includes registration and login pages, a main dashboard, medication stock, medication history, profile management, educational information, and reminder notifications. The visual interface is presented in the article's screenshots on pages 551–556.
Developed Using the Waterfall Method
Sampebua and Pawan developed Diabetes Buddy using the Waterfall model, a structured software development approach.
The process moves through several stages, beginning with requirements analysis and system design, followed by implementation, testing, deployment, and maintenance. Each stage is completed systematically before progressing to the next.
For the Diabetes Buddy project, the approach provided a structured framework for defining system requirements, designing the application, building its functions, and testing whether those functions worked as intended.
The researchers then used Black Box testing to evaluate the application's functionality. In simple terms, the testing examined whether each feature produced the expected result when users performed specific actions.
The tests covered functions including registration, login, application guidance, medication guidance, diabetes education, medicine stock management, medication history, and automatic medication reminders. The reported results show that the tested functions operated according to the expected outputs.
What the Findings Mean for Patients and Families
The researchers describe Diabetes Buddy as a potential digital tool for supporting medication management among people with Type 2 diabetes.
Its value lies in combining several routine activities in one application. Instead of relying only on memory for medication schedules, users can receive automatic reminders, record whether medication has been taken, monitor remaining stock, and review previous medication use.
The medication history can also be downloaded in PDF format. The recorded information includes the medication name, dosage, scheduled time, dates of use, consumption status, and confirmation time.
The researchers also highlight the possibility of family involvement. By providing medication consumption records, the application may give family members an additional way to support medication management.
In an ethical paraphrase of the researchers' findings, Mingsep Rante Sampebua and Elvis Pawan of Cenderawasih University emphasize that integrating automated reminders, medication records, stock monitoring, and digital health information can help make long-term medication management more organized and accessible.
Not Yet a Clinical Effectiveness Study
An important point is that the article reports software development and functional testing, rather than a clinical trial measuring changes in patients' blood glucose levels or medication adherence over time.
The researchers report that the application's primary functions worked according to the system requirements during Black Box testing. However, the paper does not provide clinical evidence showing how much the application improves medication adherence or health outcomes among patients in real-world use.
This distinction is important when interpreting the findings. Diabetes Buddy is presented as a digital solution with potential to support medication management, while further research would be needed to determine its effectiveness among patients in broader clinical settings.
Future Development Could Include Artificial Intelligence
The researchers also point toward a possible next stage of development involving artificial intelligence (AI).
The article notes the potential for future applications to provide more individualized advice and adaptive health monitoring for people with Type 2 diabetes. Such technology could eventually complement reminder functions with more personalized digital support.
For digital health development, this creates an opportunity to move from basic reminders toward systems that can respond more specifically to individual users while maintaining appropriate attention to data security, privacy, and integration with healthcare services.
Author Profiles
Mingsep Rante Sampebua is the lead author and corresponding author of the article. He is affiliated with the Department of Information Systems, Cenderawasih University, Papua, Indonesia. His work in this publication focuses on information systems, Android application development, digital health technology, and medication management systems.
Elvis Pawan is a co-author affiliated with the Department of Information Systems, Cenderawasih University, Papua, Indonesia. His contribution to the publication is related to information systems and the development of Android-based digital health applications.
Research Source
Article Title: Android-Based Medication Reminder Application for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients
Authors: Mingsep Rante Sampebua and Elvis Pawan
Affiliation: Department of Information Systems, Cenderawasih University, Papua, Indonesia
Journal: International Journal of Applied Research and Sustainable Sciences (IJARSS)
Publication Year: 2026
Volume: 4, No. 6, pages 545–560
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