A Guide to Digital Diabetes Care
The COVID 19 pandemic reinforced the need for improved digitized healthcare systems. It brought an upsurge of digital technologies for distant communication, remote work, etc. The healthcare sector was heavily impacted during the pandemic. A digital transformation in healthcare has been a major positive consequence of the pandemic. This transformation has also introduced prospects for improved digital care of systemic diseases like online diabetes treatment.
What is telehealth?
Telehealth refers to the use of digital technology for providing medical services. Telemedicine can be categorized into 1) synchronous telemedicine, 2) asynchronous telemedicine, and 3) remote monitoring. Synchronous telemedicine refers to real-time health monitoring, while asynchronous telemedicine involves getting data for future assessment. Remote monitoring includes a continuous glucose monitor, which constantly receives patient data.
Telemedicine has been considered useful for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Considering the widespread access to the internet and handheld devices (more than 2.7 billion people worldwide use a mobile phone), the utility of diabetes apps is evident. Around 0.5 billion people use phone apps for physical activity, diet and chronic disease management. These are promising statistics to encourage the use of digital diabetes platforms.
Benefits of digital diabetes care
Telehealth diabetes treatment can help reduce patients’ costs and increase their willingness to get a check-up. It saves many working hours wasted on commuting and waiting at clinics. Moreover, it improves the patient-to-provider ratio by giving patients access to more providers. Since transport is no longer involved in the equation, patients can seek healthcare professionals in distant regions.
They are also extended the freedom to choose doctors who serve them better (e.g., bilingual endocrinologists). It also significantly helps healthcare providers deal with complex cases only in person, as simple regulations can be made virtually. Digital diabetes care can also provide self-management to patients. The Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) now recommends using mobile apps for continuous glucose monitoring as it can greatly assist patients at risk of hypoglycemia. Electronic health records are critical to a virtual clinic and digital care. They collect accessible data in one location, which can be translated into meaningful information. Such insights can drive improved decision-making and help enhance outcomes at an individual and societal level.
While digitizing diabetes care has challenges, it has great potential for the medical industry and diabetic patients. If you have diabetes and want to explore better options for your treatment, consider our trustworthy services at TelMDCare. You can find an online doctor to treat diabetes or get an online prescription for your insulin. Check out our range of services for other medical problems as well. We have a 24 hours service available for consultation in several regions and a professional panel of expert virtual doctors available to provide you with quality healthcare. Contact us now for any further queries or for booking an appointment.