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Growing digital toolbox will elevate diabetes educator role
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INDIANAPOLIS — A wealth of growing digital applications and products are rapidly changing the diabetes care landscape, and diabetes educators should take advantage of this “tipping point” moment to reach more patients than ever before, according to a speaker here.
In a keynote presentation at the American Association of Diabetes Educators annual meeting, Chris Bergstrom, MBA, digital health lead for Boston Consulting Group, a global management consulting firm, said CDEs can leverage new technology to decentralize health care, empower patients and even disrupt inefficient economic care models.
“Diabetes educators and endocrinologists have always used tools to help the 30 million Americans with diabetes and the 84 million Americans living with prediabetes,” Bergstrom told Endocrine Today before his presentation. “However, demand exceeds the supply. At this moment in history, we finally have a powerful set of new tools — digital tools — that can help the hands of one clinician reach the hands of many.”
Data anytime, anywhere
Digital products today, such as the iPad or Kindle, have become known for their ease-of-use, Bergstrom said: A child or older adult can turn them on and begin working with the devices immediately.
When it comes to managing diabetes, he said, that is not the case.
“One of the biggest challenges with managing diabetes is that we have to learn how to manage it,” Bergstrom said. “What if we could move past that step? What if, instead of saying, ‘Here’s the data, and we would like you to know what to do with it,’ we could jump straight to turning that data into information and actions and knowledge for you? And we’re going to deliver that to you anytime, anywhere.”
Today, there are digital health companies doing just that, Bergstrom said. New trends like mobile prescription therapy, FDA-cleared software solutions, sometimes requiring a prescription, provide patient-level decision support via mobile devices. Companies like New Hampshire-based SilverCloud are already delivering mobile prescription therapy, or MPT, in several disease areas, including mental health and diabetes, Bergstrom said.
“We’ve turned software into a drug,” Bergstrom said. “It’s recommended as a line of treatment. It works. And it’s paid for. It’s neat to see our organizations, the AADE, the ADA, recognize that we now have new tools like this.”
The sheer number of digital health tools can be overwhelming, Bergstrom said, with some covering niche areas and others addressing broader issues. Over time, Bergstrom said, the most successful platforms will merge digital options with the human touch — things like facilitating meal delivery to patients with mobility issues, or providing childcare solutions for a sick parent. In addition, platforms like Tidepool and Glooko store data across multiple devices and allow providers and patients to see information in one place.
Bergstrom highlighted several other groundbreaking digital applications and platforms:
Fit4D — A technology-enabled health coaching service with intelligent scripting algorithms that enable certified diabetes educators to deliver personalized care at scale.
iSageRX — a new dosing app for all basal insulins for patients with type 2 diabetes. The app is FDA cleared and available with a prescription to adjust dosing for Lantus, Levemir, Toujeo, Tresiba, and Basaglar.
HelpAround Diabetes — Billed as a “mobile safety net” for people with diabetes, HelpAround is what Bergstrom called “a great example of a company that provides peer support to help people with their diabetes.” The platform allows organizations to match patients with the appropriate resources to improve patient access to care, according to the company website. “I’ve seen people driving 50 miles to meet complete strangers to drop off supplies to someone who forgot something,” Bergstrom said.
Augmedix — Powered by Google Glass, providers wear Augmedix glasses, allowing a platform specialist to observe patient visits and take detailed notes, saving the physician time and allowing for more provider and patient interaction. Already, 12 hospital systems are using the platform, Bergstrom said.
Pokemon Go — While not an app designed for patients with diabetes, this mobile gaming app has spurred millions to “get off the sofa and out interacting with mankind,” Bergstrom said. “This was good for their mental wellbeing and physical wellbeing,” Bergstrom said. “This tells us digital will absolutely allow us to engage in ways we never expected or dreamed to do.”
“I’m not here to tell you there is a silver bullet in digital health,” Bergstrom said. “What you have is a toolbox of solutions ... now your toolbox is just bigger and better, and you have more access to tools that make the other tools better.”
“Take advantage of the moment, use your hands to take a leadership role to experiment with these digital health solutions, provide your feedback to the patients using them and the people making them. Use them to reach more patients than you ever have.” – by Regina Schaffer
Reference:
Bergstrom C. Let’s Get Digital. Presented at: American Association of Diabetes Educators; Aug. 4-7, 2017; Indianapolis.
Disclosures: Bergstrom is digital health lead for Boston Consulting Group.