Diabetes Patient Journey & Digital Health Systems
What does the diabetes patient journey look like and where do digital health systems fit in?
Diabetes is a disease that affects millions globally. No one can deny the immense impact the disease has had on individuals and those surrounding them. The question that really needs to be answered is how to better manage this disease. We ask ourselves what the possibilities are and how we can implement new innovations for better interconnected digital health systems. In this article, we are going to look at diabetes from the patient journey perspective and see what the current challenges are that both patients and medical staff face.
?Key Points
-? ? ? ? ? What is diabetes and its associated complications?
-? ? ? ? ? What is the patient's digital health journey?
-? ? ? ? ? The road map of a patient with diabetes
-? ? ? ? ? The future of diabetes and e-health
-? ? ? ? ? What to take away
?
What is Diabetes and its Associated Complications?
Diabetes is a serious disease that affects millions of people all over the world. It is a metabolic disease that is a chronic disorder where the individual has difficulty regulating blood glucose. This can lead to serious complications which can become life-threatening. The complications include:
· ? ? ? ? Depression
· ? ? ? ? Neuropathy
· ? ? ? ? Heart failure
· ? ? ? ? Kidney failure
Some people affected go undiagnosed for years due to poor health knowledge, infrastructure, socio-economic situations, and lifestyle changes. This also leads to poor disease management, furthering complications and their impact on individuals and caregivers.
?
What is a Patient’s Digital Health Journey?
The patient's digital health journey is the path a person follows from the onset of symptoms to the treatment of the issue. Digital health journeys include the use of online research along with seeking out medical advice through traditional methods. Digital health journeys are currently adapting to better incorporate all aspects of the journey. The aim is to provide a streamlined and less invasive system to better care for patients, caregivers, and the medical professionals involved. It is about revitalising the medical industry with new ways of increasing communication and limiting the time between symptom and diagnosis. Read more on this in my previous article titled: What is the Digital Health Journey?
?
The Road Map of a Patient with Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic condition, meaning that it will be there for life and require management.? Considering that many people globally find themselves affected by diabetes you may be inclined to believe that it is common knowledge. The truth is that not everyone is aware of the disease, what the symptoms are, or even how to communicate their symptoms in some cases.? So, depending on the current situation of the individual, the road map for each patient with diabetes will differ. Though there are some similarities that one can draw a basic idea of how this road map or journey takes place.
Let’s take the example of Amelia. Amelia started off her journey knowing that diabetes was a disease that one could get but she was not aware of the exact causes or what the typical presentation symptoms were. Most of us are aware of what cold symptoms are like and can often remedy it at home. This makes for quick healing and little delay in seeking medical attention. This is the aspect of health knowledge that is so important. Seeing as Amelia was unaware of what to be cautious about and had little to no encouragement to seek medical advice, she took longer and in so doing lengthened the time needed to get onto a stable path.
Nonetheless, Amelia was able to pick up on the fact that she was having a few unusual symptoms and decided to do some research before seeking medical advice. Amelia started by researching her symptoms online. A few websites came up, all with their own results. Amelia decided to speak to friends and family about what she was noticing before continuing her research online. After several searches she decided it was time to make an appointment with her primary doctor. Once at the doctor’s office Amelia explains her symptoms and how long she has been feeling that way. The doctor decides that it would be best to do a blood glucose test and with that discovers that Amelia is in fact diabetic. Unsure in the moment she feels overwhelmed with the news.
The doctor explains that life-long self-management will be required with many lifestyle alterations. The doctor goes on to suggest other specialists in order to see about working on a plan to get to stability again. Amelia asks the doctor some questions and then takes the information of the specialists and goes home to tell her family and friends the news. After the initial shock and conversations, she decides to jump back online to research diabetes. She finds information on medical sites, support groups, social media, and all kinds of tips and tricks on living well with diabetes. Amelia is now finding lots of information on how to manage her diabetes and is even able to connect with other individuals affected by diabetes. The internet gives her access to a great deal of information, and she has to find a way to quiet the noise and make sense of it all.
?Now that Amelia has read some articles and stories and spoken to people close to her, she goes on to make an appointment with the various specialists. At each of the appointments, they give her information, tools, and a plan going forward. They explain what changes are needed and how Amelia can achieve good results. She is warned that the process is tough and will need dedication on her part to do all the daily activities and change her diet. Amelia is very aware of diabetes and the complications associated with the disease. She begins to see her path forward for continued self-management. However, the change is big and puts a strain on her ability to keep motivated. Physically the process can be draining as you adjust to a new lifestyle on top of that Amelia was struggling to keep up financially with the changes in her diet. All this while she is still working full time.
Amelia realises that she needs to become more efficient and wiser to diabetes lifestyle hacks. Again, she decides to consult the internet about things like affordable diets for diabetics and meetups for people affected by diabetes. Armed with the knowledge and guidance from the doctors, Amelia is able to navigate through articles and videos about diabetes. She finds that content created by her peers seems to keep her attention more though she appreciates having medical advice and advice from other diabetic people. She finds a few newsletters to subscribe to and some content creators she will now follow for ongoing advice for better self-management of her diabetes. Finally, Amelia can begin to research the offered suggestions like glucometers and shoes to alleviate diabetic symptoms. Amelia has her online community for daily support and specialists for ongoing medical attention when required.
?
领英推荐
The Future of Diabetes and e-Health
So, what does the future hold for diabetes care, and how does e-health play a role?
As we know, diabetes is a chronic condition and so it will require continuous management. Proper management can be time-consuming and requires the individual to pay close attention to changes. Though for the most part, this is a useful skill to have, you will inevitably run into obstacles in keeping track all the time.
Over the years a number of apps and other devices have been made with the purpose of creating a better life for people who deal with diabetes on a daily basis, either at the patient or caregiver. Many of these tools can help to simplify the challenges associated with monitoring and management of diabetes. Smart devices give the patients and caregivers the opportunity to gain data on a daily basis and be alerted to any changes that may be out of the norm. This can alleviate much of the stress already. The glucometer is also a great tool to keep regular tabs on the glycaemic index of the person dealing with diabetes, though for some people it can be costly and difficult to maintain the frequency. At this stage, we have a hybridisation of online and offline management where there is little to connect the two.
This opens the industry up to the opportunity to create connected systems through digitisation and artificial intelligence working in collaboration with medical providers and even, one day, content creators. Such a system would allow for better data tracking, care from medical staff, and self-care management. Using things like artificial intelligence to make suggestions based on minor changes could provide the ongoing support needed without the drain of having to see a professional before making such suggestions. On the other hand, we then have medical staff with more time available to evaluate each individual and make specific recommendations for things like glucose monitoring, diet, daily activity, stress, and sleep. Aimed at positive behavioural changes that will bring on stability and easier management of diabetes.
?
The future of diabetes is simply that it is under the spotlight and about to undergo a big change. Digitisation, automated monitoring, and digital prescriptions/pharmacies are just one part of this incredible movement towards interconnected digital health systems where tech and medicine meet. In some ways it will revolutionise the way we perceive diabetes and the complications that come with this chronic disease.
I see this connected future for patients with diabetes and medical professionals looking to make strides in how we all manage disease. Diabetes is all over the globe and affecting lives in ways that are sometimes gone unseen. We have the tools to bring it altogether into a new integrated system for proper and accurate diabetes management, and now is the time to start connecting each element of the system for seamless monitoring and health education.
?
What to Take Away
Having considered Amelia’s story and the current literature on diabetes patient journeys, one can clearly see the need for digital solutions. This is not to say that everything should be digitised and left to the care of something like robotics. It is about taking the opportunity by the hand and collaborating to provide better care and better care management. We should not be afraid of what robotics, artificial intelligence, and digitisation has to offer diabetes. We should embrace the new road maps being innovated for easier care systems. There is so much to be gained by improving the current health systems and patient journeys.
Take some time to look at a few apps out there for better diabetes management and you will find that there is already a fair amount of tech integrated in personal management of diabetes. These apps are there to improve understanding and give the individual accurate data that they can discuss with their health care professional. Showcasing a small but very tangible improvement in the health system. Taking all the elements and laying them down for a cohesive patient journey will only improve the lives of those living with diabetes and the medical staff that care for them.
?
How Can You Make a Difference?
Become part of the change, become an e-health pioneer striving to reshape the future of health journeys. Each one of us play a role in designing and implementing health systems. It Is the relentless effort put into making a difference for everyone affected by diabetes and lessen the chances of life-threatening complications to occur. With these tools we can improve overall communication between medical staff as well as patient to medical staff and reduce the moving targets in the diabetes patient health journey.
?
__________________________________________________________________________
Author Notes:?
My name is Damien and I am inquisitive, curious and many times stupefied, about? all that tech has to offer the world. Most recently around the areas of AI, ML and UX/CX? in e-Health and DIgital Health Journeys. All of my views expressed here are those of my own and do not represent the views of the ZurRose Group. Follow me to journey through e-Health and tech in the healthcare industry.
Sources