Preventative care would prevent most of the diabetes related complications and even a small sounding number, like the one above, can make a big difference to the quality of life of an individual with diabetes. Without due care, consistently elevated sugar (glycated) haemoglobin levels can lead into amputation as well as serious eye or kidney disease.
Diabetes is a disease that impacts patient’s life every day and hence needs daily management. However, a typical care plan consists of a few pre-planned appointments with health care professionals throughout the year. ProWellness CEO, Mika Sipila, points out that in order to expand care beyond the clinic setting, new augmented intelligence based solutions are needed to support diabetics in their daily lives at home and at work.
Sipila stresses that diabetes is a long-term condition that is mostly managed independently, sometimes for decades, by the patient.
Poor daily care and glycaemic control can lead into serious consequences to the patient’s health. Managing serious complications is very hard for the patient as well as very costly from the health care system’s point of view. Therefore, it’s of paramount importance to have appropriate solutions available for monitoring and guiding patients remotely, notes Sipila.
Around the clock support
Smart mobile phone based Balansio solution supports diabetes selfcare around the clock. It helps users to monitor blood glucose levels as well as automatically calculates the amount of required bolus insulin with meals. In addition to a daily HbA1c estimate, the solution provides patients with automated real-time advice in case the care is out of balance.
With patient’s consent, health care professionals receive information about, e.g., blood sugar levels, and on the other hand, send care instructions directly to the patient’s mobile device.
Balansio works independent of time and place, and provides patients with automated support around the clock. Doctor or nurse determines and activates a personalised care plan on their Balansio user interface and lets the solution take care of the rest. When a patient is managed in an automated manner 24/7 and assisted remotely when needed, doctors’ and nurses’ time is freed up for those patients who need it most, Sipila concludes.
How Balansio works
• Balansio mobile app can be downloaded from Apple and Google app stores. It can also be used without activating and connecting a care plan to the solution.
• The mobile app provides support for managing diabetes around the clock when a care plan designed by health care professionals is activated. Intelligent and automated Balansio assistants recognise issues in care routines and help the patient to understand the importance of daily choices and routines to the management of diabetes. Care professionals can monitor adherence to the care plan and provide remote assistance when needed.
• Balansio can be used in conjunction with other medical devices which are designed to help patient’s daily life, for example, in adjusting rapid acting and basal insulins as well as monitoring glycated haemoglobin with Balansio’s continuous HbA1c estimation.
• The application allows for viewing information and visualising how insulin, carbohydrates, exercise and other care routines impact blood glucose levels. The solution also supports automated information uploads from selected meters and other solutions.
1 HbA1c % (DCCT)
