An ecosystem for digital self-management of diabetes
Diabetes management is complex, requiring control of glucose in blood, control of blood pressure and lipids, and regular screening for damage to the eyes, kidneys and feet. Alongside anti-diabetic drugs, these interventions amount to over EUR 700 billion per year.
A real-time mobile health app
Accumulating evidence indicates that a mere 1 % reduction of glucose levels reduces heart attacks by 14 %, microvascular complications by 37 % and diabetes-related deaths by 21 %. These figures clearly underscore the importance of continuous glucose monitoring and self-management by patients as standard care. With this in mind, the EU-funded SocialDiabetes project developed a digital healthcare platform for diabetes management. “Our mission is to guide the transition to a smart and tech-driven self-care and remote telemedicine system that provides a whole new experience to the patient, clinician and society,″ explains project coordinator and SocialDiabetes Founder Bautista Bermúdez. The platform is complete with a mobile app and a desktop solution encompassing several characteristics and compatibility with all main glucometers in the global market. The app incorporates user-friendly data visualisation tools and can be used to monitor both type I and type II diabetes. The SocialDiabetes app allows patients to sync their blood glucose data from their glucometer to the phone, and add additional information such as food intake and exercise in real time. Patient data is accessible by healthcare provider teams who track patient progress and can make evidence-based treatment decisions. The app also supports personalisation features such as insulin dose recommendations, meal planning, exercise coaching and charts, as well as statistics of every patient. It also allows universal integration with main device players in the market. Retrospective analysis on the SocialDiabetes app demonstrated a significant reduction in blood glucose levels in all groups of patients using the app irrespective of frequency. Up to 2 % reduction in glycosylated haemoglobin levels was observed in patients with type 2 diabetes three months after using the SocialDiabetes app. These results have secured SocialDiabetes a series of certificates that ensure its medical quality such as CE Class II B, ISO 13485 and FDA certified Digital Therapeutic.
Distribution and future prospects of the SocialDiabetes ecosystem
“Undoubtedly, our biggest achievement is the penetration of the global market which has rendered SocialDiabetes platform one of the standards for diabetes management reaching more than 400 million people worldwide,″ emphasises Bautista Bermúdez. Currently more than 60 000 patients use the application to control their diabetes. Recently, the company entered the market in Mexico by collaborating with hospitals and payers, and by the end of the year it will reach the Colombian market as well. In the near future, partners plan to generate a social community platform that brings people with diabetes and their environment closer together, giving them the opportunity to share their experiences. Furthermore, they will include artificial intelligence in the platform with an active patient monitoring system that automatically analyses health-related information and sends it to the health professional in real time.
Keywords
SocialDiabetes, diabetes, app, glucose levels, mobile, glycosylated haemoglobin, insulin, glucometer
