In-Range Animation Uses Micro-Learning to Improve Diabetes Education
Neil Israel and Suzie Israel are on a mission to make diabetes education more effective. They are helping young adults take control of their health and live the best lives without feeling restricted, one animated video at a time.
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The Challenge
Have you ever been in a class with a super smart teacher who knows the subject inside out but explains things in a way that leaves you scratching your head?
Well, that’s how some people with diabetes feel when they visit endocrinologists. Endocrinologists are extremely knowledgeable in their field. But they are busy and use medical shorthand that confuses and intimidates an average human. The conversation can also be quite inquisitive. It’s like getting called to the principal’s office for something you didn’t do. The air becomes heavy, and their questions can make you feel like you’re on trial for your life decisions.
“Why did your blood sugar spike that day three weeks ago?” they might ask.
Think about it — remembering every detail of what you ate three weeks ago or the exact sequence of events leading to a blood sugar spike is as challenging as recalling the weather on a random day months ago.
Now, imagine being in this scenario in high school or college. When everyone else seems carefree about what they eat and drink, you are making strategic decisions about every morsel of food and every drop of drink you consume, only to have your blood sugar levels rise or fall unexpectedly and find yourself at the endocrinologist’s office.
This is where In-Range Animation steps onto the stage. They act as guides on the T1D journey, creating short, fun, animated videos that transform complicated diabetes management into easy-to-understand nuggets. With In-Range Animation, you no longer feel like sitting through a boring lecture but more like chatting with a friend who knows what you’re going through.
Origin Story
The story of In-Range Animation began with two individuals driven by their unique experiences, empathy, and a strong desire for change.
Neil Israel, one of the co-founders of In-Range Animation and a seasoned educator, had been working at a nonprofit, writing grants to fight poverty and tackle various pressing issues. One day, while going through a grant proposal filled with dry, boring text, Neil had a moment of realization. He thought, “This is so boring, I want to kill myself reading it. If I find it dull, anyone reading it will definitely lose interest.”
Neil, together with his wife, Suzie Israel, a fine artist and seasoned software developer, approached his bosses and suggested creating a video that explained things in a fun way so that more people would pay attention. The response to the video they created was overwhelmingly positive, which got Neil thinking about how he could use his skills to help people in other ways. And in 2019, In-Range Animation was officially born.
However, what truly shaped In-Range Animation into what it is today was Neil’s personal journey with Type 1 diabetes for 43 years, plus his deep appreciation for individuality and the understanding of sensitive conversations he gained while working as a trainer at the Anti-Defamation League.
Neil had always believed that access to non-judgemental information during his early years with diabetes could have made a significant difference in his life. His belief was further solidified by numerous studies that found young adulthood to be a crucial phase in life when complications manifested. Neil was also alarmed by a prevalent issue within the diabetes community: Despite remarkable advancements in healthcare, blood sugar management wasn’t showing corresponding improvements. His initial inquiry shed light on two critical factors.
First was the often adversarial relationship between young people with diabetes and healthcare professionals. Doctors, while well-intentioned, often assumed the role of investigators, probing patients about past actions and decisions. This resulted in people with Type 1 diabetes often resorting to fear-based management of the disease, focusing on avoiding unexpected high or low blood sugar levels rather than planning for better outcomes.
Second, Neil and Suzie saw that the existing educational resources were fragmented, lacked engagement, and failed to provide the kind of holistic support that individuals with diabetes desperately required.
“The most effective diabetes education that exists is classes by live diabetes educators where you can get immediate answers to your questions. While there are a lot of great YouTube videos, the information is so vast that it becomes hard to find what you need. Plus, young people often have shorter attention spans. So, any educational solution has to be not just authentic but also engaging and something that doesn’t make people feel like they are being talked down to,” said Neil.
The pressing need for innovative educational tools in the diabetes space made Neil and Suzie begin their search for new ways to teach young adults about diabetes. They decided to merge micro-learning and animation, a combination that would allow them to tap into the cultural moment, simplify complex information into quick, impactful lessons, and make it more accessible to a broad audience in an entertaining, informative, and memorable way. Innovative checks for understanding — developed by award-winning diabetes educators — aid in understanding and retention.
Around 2022, they decided to make In-Range Animation proactively focus on diabetes education. Their journey was marked by milestones such as creating educational videos for JDRF in Texas and producing a short explainer training video for a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) reseller. The latter experience solidified their belief in the power of animation to explain complex ideas effectively.
Today, In-Range Animation is on a mission to change how people learn about diabetes. They are creating content that empowers individuals to take control of their lives by moving away from fear-based education to proactive self-management.
Under the Hood
In-Range Animation takes a two-pronged approach to diabetes education. First, they are developing an app that integrates educational videos and interactive features. The app serves as a user-friendly platform for individuals with diabetes to access valuable information seamlessly. The curriculum within the app is designed to be flexible. While there are structured educational tracks, users can also explore content based on their specific questions or needs. This approach ensures that education isn’t a linear journey but a personalized one.
The second aspect of their product is a series of 30+ educational videos. These videos are designed based on insights gained from diabetic educators. They cover essential topics for diabetes management, making them accessible and easy to understand.
Neil and Suzie are also interested in the potential of AI to enhance the effectiveness of micro-learning. The duo is considering the integration of smart search that will interpret users’ questions and provide precise video clips that answer those questions directly. This feature will enable users to engage with the app in natural language, making it an intuitive tool for managing their condition.
The two-pronged approach enables In-Range Animation to envision both B2B and B2C models for its offerings. They position themselves as partners to those at the front lines of diabetes education. They plan to engage clinics, hospitals, and insurers as their primary customers, with the potential for white-labeling the basic content to align with their branding. At the same time, they also foresee offering a freemium version to ensure accessibility for individuals with Type 1 diabetes.
Last Words
In-Range Animation is an exciting venture that is set to make a substantial impact on diabetes education. Besides their blend of educational expertise and a genuine understanding of the unique needs of individuals living with diabetes, what truly sets them apart is that they are not just providing information but fostering empowerment.
By emphasizing self-management and autonomy, they aim to shift the narrative from patients feeling like victims relying solely on medical professionals to individuals who take control of their lives and health. This change in mindset, from passive recipients of care to active participants in their wellbeing, can have a tremendous impact on improving health outcomes and overall quality of life for those dealing with Type 1 diabetes.
Join us in welcoming Neil and Suzie Israel to the StartUp Health Type 1 Diabetes Moonshot community of Health Transformers.
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Published: Oct 5, 2023