New telemedicine system for diabetes sufferers
Diabetes sufferers need to constantly watch their blood sugar levels to maintain a reasonable quality of life. Failure can lead to unconsciousness and even death. Yet often one of the greatest obstacles to the effective self-management of treatments is the difficulty of supplying personal data to the supervising medical department. The IST project M2DM (Multi-Access Services for telematic Management of Diabetes Mellitus) aims to provide diabetic patients and healthcare providers with a flexible voice and data communication service that increases the quality of care by improving communication between patients and caregivers. The basis of the system is a multi-access server that makes use of both Web-based and CTI (Computer Telephone Integration) technologies. The result for users is easy-to-use, online and cost-effective access to telemedicine and information services. The diabetic uses a simple handheld device to prick his/her thumb and obtain a tiny sample of blood. The device measures the sugar content of the sample and displays it on the inbuilt LCD screen. The diabetic connects the device to a special modem, which connects and uploads the blood sugar measurement to the central server, all at the push of a button. At the other end of the system, the healthcare provider logs on to a special Web page that displays the latest measurement on screen, checks it against that diabetic's existing blood sugar data and recommends the appropriate adjustment in medication. The healthcare provider can then send a message to the 'Home' page of the diabetic, who reads it and adjusts the medication accordingly. M2DM also provides a voice alternative to the data communication methods, in which a touchtone phone can connect to a telephone messaging system that allows the user to log in, leave voice messages for the caregiver and collect any messages in return. The system provides the right information to both diabetic and caregiver at the right time, contributing significantly to the effective treatment and control of diabetes. The system is currently being tested with patients in nine specialist medical departments across the EU.
