The Digital/Virtual Diabetes Clinic – the Future is Now. Recommendations from an International Panel on Diabetes Digital Technologies Introduction
Despite advances in diabetes technologies and antidiabetic medications, many patients unable to achieve their treatment goals, resulting in inadequate clinical outcomes. Moshe Phillip and colleagues published a paper in Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. under the title “The Digital/Virtual Diabetes Clinic – the Future is Now. Recommendations from an International Panel on Diabetes Digital Technologies Introduction”. The summary of this paper is given below:
Objective:
To summarize the panel’s discussion of the obstacles, opportunities, and requisites for boosting the use of diabetes technologies as a standard of care for the management of diabetes.
Method:
In February 2020, an international panel consisting of healthcare professionals, patient advocates, researchers, and industry representatives was bought together in an annual conference by the organizers of the Advanced Technologies & Treatments for Diabetes (ATTD). The panel conducted a review to study the status of digital diabetes technologies, to characterize deficits in current technologies, and to identify issues for consideration. The summarization of this panel’s discussion is provided in this article.
Findings:
Digital diabetes technologies have the efficacy to increase access to care, reduce costs, and improve clinical outcomes and quality of life. While telemedicine technologies were considered to be illegal in India, it was a new effective proven option to provide critical healthcare for patients with diabetes with the start of Covid-19 pandemics. We now have government-established guidelines for all forms of telemedicine available.
Several obstacles addressed by the panel include: Achieving interoperability on a critical basis, an Adequate reimbursement program for devices and HCP services, protecting data/device integrity, and safeguarding privacy. Additionally, less restrictive reimbursement policies and regulations should be provided by insurers and regulatory agencies to support digital/virtual diabetes clinic (D/VDC) approaches. Lastly, all digital strategies should be properly investigated and validated with carefully designed research programs to demonstrate efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness.
These obstacles can be overcome with close collaboration between all stakeholders. Additionally, the positive outcome requires manufacturers and software developers along with clinicians and patients with diabetes to come together to establish standards for interoperability and data sharing.
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