6
VOLUME 10 NUMBER 1 • MARCH 2013
FUNDING DIABETES CARE
SA JOURNAL OF DIABETES & VASCULAR DISEASE
programme run by the Centre for Diabetes and Endocrinology.
They learn more about diabetes and how to manage their diabetes
more effectively. The value of this programme to members is that
it enables them to take an active role in their own health and
wellbeing, and live healthier lives.
Discovery Vitality
Discovery Health funds approved treatment and medication for
members with diabetes. However, if members’ blood glucose levels are
high but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes, we encourage
our members to adjust their lifestyles and lead healthier, more active
lifestyles rather than go on medication. In this way, members are able
to take responsibility for their own health and wellbeing.
Our internationally recognised wellness programme, Vitality,
helps them to do this. LivingVitality, an online platform, has made
it easier for them to monitor their health and wellness. LivingVitality
empowers our members to understand, track, connect, learn more
about and manage their diabetes and any other medical conditions
they may have through being able to ask experts questions, and
make use of online tools and social media.
Telemetry pilot for blood glucose readings
Following the successful launch of the HealthID application,
which enables doctors (with their patients’ consent) to access
their electronic healthcare records, a pilot study with a telemetric
glucometer was initiated. The glucometer enables diabetic patients
to view and understand their blood glucose trends more easily, and
empowers them to manage their diabetes more successfully.
The glucometer is designed to transmit the patient’s blood
glucose readings directly to an application on their cellphone via
Bluetooth, from where they are sent to a website that can be
accessed by their caregiver. The system means that there is no
need for diabetic patients to wait for a doctor’s visit to download
their readings and view the trends, or to manually transcribe
their readings onto a worksheet or into a logbook. All of their
readings are easy to view and interpret in graphic format on their
cellphone, allowing patients to understand how their actions
affect their blood glucose levels and to adjust their behaviour in
a positive way.
In addition, caregivers can access the results at any time to
ensure that patients are testing regularly enough, and to check on
their blood glucose readings and whether they are improving over
time. Further versions of the application will also enable patients to
record the number of carbohydrates they have consumed during
the day, as well as how much insulin they have injected.
The pilot group consisted of 50 Discovery Health members aged
between six and 74 years who were primarily type 1 diabetes and
insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes patients. After a trial run of
five months, 82% of patients who provided feedback about the
telemetric device rated their experience as an 8 or above out of 10;
82% of these patients also stated that they would purchase the
device for themselves, and all of them said they would recommend
the device to other diabetic patients. One patient even commented
that ‘It has really helped me. My sugar levels are below what they
have ever been and I owe part of that to this system. Thank you’.
Following the successful pilot study, Discovery Health is exploring
solutions whereby they can enable diabetic patients and their
caregivers to access this telemetric device and application. Ideally,
a link to this application will be created on LivingVitality and within
HealthID to facilitate a diabetes technological ecosystem, which
both members and caregivers can tap into. This innovation shows
how Discovery Health is continuously researching and funding new,
innovative technologies that will best benefit members.
All the processes mentioned above show that Discovery Health
is actively funding treatment and medication for diabetes mellitus
and other chronic diseases, and this is in line with the Council of
Medical Schemes. We are also bringing useful tools that enable
the members to take control of the ongoing monitoring of their
condition. We are aware of the multifaceted challenges around
healthcare and funding chronic conditions, and we continue to
implement mechanisms that will allow us to fund chronic conditions
and provide our members with the highest quality healthcare while
remaining sustainable.
References
1.
Discoverer
, September 2012. Comprehensive chronic disease management: 4.
2.
SEMDSA 2012 Guideline for the Management of Type 2 Diabetes.
J Endocrinol
Metab Diabetes S Afr
2012;
17
(1); 51–594
3.
Diabetes worldwide at a record high
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904,77850.asp
4.
Diabetes ‘tsunami’ hits South Africa.
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Condition_centres/777-792-808-1657,77805.asp
5.
Chronic disease to cost $47 trillion by 2030.
2011/09/18/us-disease-chronic-costs-idUSTRE78H2IY20110918
