Abstract:
The probable risk of getting diabetes or being diagnosed with diabetes is a difficult situation for any patient as they must deal with the associated complications and lifestyle changes caused by the disease. Science has progressed a lot in dealing with these complications and in the management of diabetes mellitus. Of late, the advent of information technology has enabled better management of diabetes mellitus and has improved the lifestyle of the patients. Some of the approaches include tailored web-based lifestyle intervention, telemedicine applications to reach patients, targeted services using smartphones, and social media as a motivator for weight management. While these are some of the approaches targeted at personalized services to the patients, there are also approaches targeted at a large scale for a wider group such as using social media for the prevention and management of diabetes. Mobile-health programs have had widespread popularity due to their accessibility and ease of usage. Programs targeted at specific population set encouraging a healthy lifestyle to prevent diabetes has seen traction over the years, firstly with mass communication over television, and now with healthcare apps and messaging over smartphones and the internet. With advantages derived from these use cases, the adoption of information technology has increased multi-fold. Digital technologies help in personalized services for patients’ diabetes management and ease the burden on the patient and the healthcare system to a certain extent. In the future, information technology is expected to contribute to the multiple aspects of the prevention and management of diabetes mellitus. Some of the latest advances include non-invasive methods to measure blood glucose levels that help in reducing frequent needle pricks for the patient. Smart contact lens technology helps assess diabetes and further treat diabetic retinopathy. Smart pens and pumps for insulin delivery help automatically record insulin injected and helps analyse the information to recognize patterns and optimize therapy. Some of the applications use self-learning artificial intelligence algorithms to specifically adapt to patients’ medical histories. These advancements are expected to improve the quality of life for patients. Connected care applications are also expected to help as they allow actionable insights from the data shared among patients, healthcare systems, and insurance providers.
Audience take-away:
- The audience will understand the importance and usage of information technology in the management and prevention of diabetes mellitus. The presentation will help the audience in understanding the impact and usage of new technologies and existing technologies and help them understand how these can be beneficial in their day-to-day jobs. The presentation will also help healthcare providers to prescribe the right technological solution to their patients, thereby improving the lifestyle of patients with diabetes.
