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Diabetes care experiencing technological revolution
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During the past few years, there has been a virtual explosion of technology created specifically to help patients and providers track health-related information, diabetes care and outcomes. In practice settings across the country, there is an increased use of technology in the facilitation, delivery and tracking of diabetes care, education and outcomes. This development has been encouraged in part by health care reform measures.
For instance, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009, also known as the HITECH Act, has recently established programs under Medicare and Medicaid to provide incentive payments for the “meaningful use” of certified electronic health record technology. Also, the recently proposed rule adding diabetes self-management training to the list of reimbursable Medicare telehealth services is another way legislation is encouraging changes in the delivery of care.
The increased portability of health data is truly a hot topic in the diabetes community, and this has led to the development of Web-based tools or applications for electronic devices that help patients access the information they need to manage their health more effectively.
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Gone are the days when a simple written description of the signs and symptoms of a disease effectively reached patients. As health care providers, we must expand our toolbox to include the development of podcasts and videos, interactive tools and games, social networking sites, online meal planners and nutritional tracking sites, and online discussion forums and support groups. We must participate in the global, online community of patients and providers. We must start our own blogs and read and comment on others. All of these mediums can extend the reach of diabetes educators outside of their sessions and practice settings.
The way patients access and use information is not the only thing that continues to change. For health care professionals, we are increasingly adopting Web-based tools and electronic medical records to track patient health information and outcomes. Because of this shift, we have even more information at our fingertips. We have the potential to run reports and analyze data for a whole site or population, which could help identify problem areas or trends so diabetes educators can adjust our outreach, care and treatment to better meet the needs of patients. We can also offer e-mail and phone support to patients, design educational tools and curriculum that can be accessed by other providers all over the world, lead webinars, and even conduct diabetes education sessions via video conferencing. With every advance in technology, our reach can be extended and our message can be amplified.
At the 2010 American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) Annual Meeting, this trend was highlighted by an Emerging Technologies Pavilion in the exhibit hall. Technology-based devices, software and communications tools to help diabetes educators better monitor and treat their patients were the key focus. Conversations covered the importance of using the technologies to empower and engage patients by making their health care records and activities more accessible and more understandable. Products and tools presented on the exhibit floor spanned the spectrum of technology. Continuous glucose monitoring systems were showcased, and plans for creating an insulin pump and sensor combination product were discussed. Insulin pumps that continue to undergo refinements in usability, design and accuracy were showcased. Another exciting tool highlighted in the pavilion was a mobile-based diabetes management system that allows patients to track their health information from their phones. Other device apps were demonstrated, including a Facebook game that focuses on healthy eating and goal setting.
AADE also presented its AADE7 System, an online software system designed to help diabetes educators collect and track patients’ clinical and behavioral change data, administer patient self-assessments and follow-ups, manage classes and generate reports.
Clearly, mobile and wireless devices and other technological systems have the potential to revolutionize the way we treat people with diabetes and improve the current standards of care. But we as health care providers must understand their uses, capitalize on their potential, guide our patients in the adoption of these technologies, and be involved in their development from conception to launch.
We must challenge ourselves to use multiple venues to communicate and reach out to patients, and we must be a strong, competent voice in the online diabetes community. Incorporating technology into our patient care strategies will help patients by providing them with information in a way that suits their lifestyle and learning needs.
Deborah Fillman, MS, RD, LD, CDE, is president of the American Association of Diabetes Educators.