Diabetes is increasingly becoming prevalent in the Netherlands, with cases currently amounting to approximately 1.1 million type-2 diabetes patients. Their bodies no longer respond well to insulin! Their blood sugar gets too high and they develop problems with the heart, eyes, and kidneys. "With a healthy diet, people can control the disease or even reverse it altogether,â says Kristel Polhuis, researcher in Health and Society.
With the Diameter App, UT, ZGT and Ancora Health expect to help diabetes patients improve their lifestyle and get a grip on their glucose levels. The result? Healthier patients and fewer hospital visits. A lifestyle coach guides participants through the programme, which consists of 12 weekly online sessions. Polhuis: âFor some, the goal is to lose 5 kilos while for others, the first goal is to get extra help from a partner. Participants share their experiences and form a social network. People experience success and they enjoy it. They get compliments from the coach and other participants and gain self-confidence.â
The researchers have already extensively tested the first version of the app on people receiving treatment at ZGT, the results give insight into how user-friendly the app is and the effects of the app on eating and exercise habits and blood sugar levels. Laverman adds âWe also looked at the messages we sent to the users. What does the user need? What works best? And what doesnât work? While it is great that the app is here and is appreciated, we now want to take it to the next level. Ancora Health steps in to further develop and professionalise the digital care pathway.â
Future Development
âWe have entered into a multi-year partnership with Ancora Health, allowing us to quickly integrate research results and patient experiences into the app. By using the app and conducting research simultaneously, we can quickly pinpoint which adjustments would have a positive impact. We can then make these adjustments directly available to our patients. This way we are able to reduce the often long period of time from research to practice.â
The digital care pathway will be used within ZGT from the beginning of 2024. Prior to this launch, a small group of patients will be asked to use the app. As soon as the app works perfectly and users are satisfied, it will be made available to a larger group of patients. The ultimate goal is for the digital care pathway to be used for diabetes patients outside of hospital settings too, for example by general practitioners.
Prof. Goos Laverman is a Professor in the Department of Biomedical Signals and Systems (BSS; Faculty of EEMCS / TechMed Centre). He also works as a medical specialist at ZGT. The Diameter app is part of the âDiabetes on Return Programmeâ that aims to make changes to diabetes care to help patients gain more control over their illness.
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