A 3G glucose meter for the elderly
Currently, mainly smartphone solutions are being developed for remotely monitoring blood glucose levels and other health parameters in diabetes patients. However, these are not suited for elderly patients who are not familiar with smartphones and Bluetooth device connections. Incorporating 3G mobile technology in a glucose meter Engineers of the EU-funded Glucostratus project and its partner i-SENS, Inc. designed a unique Internet of Things (IoT) blood glucose meter with built-in mobile data transfer capacity, especially for elderly diabetic patients. The Glucostratus solution provides a secure cloud platform for transmission of blood glucose readings. “Without such easy-to-use technology it would be very difficult for elderly patients to send the results to their care teams given their limited IT skills,″ explains the CEO of the Finnish company Glucostratus Ltd, Pekka Mäkelä. The smart glucometer not only measures glucose levels but also allows the remote follow up of elderly diabetic patients, providing guidance and better professional communication. With a built-in 3G mobile data connection, it automatically sends the readings to the cloud platform through an encrypted connection. The data is securely stored and shared with healthcare professionals, further facilitating decision making and patient guidance. The Glucostratus approach emerged following discussions with experts on elderly care validating the market need. The blood glucose monitor and the overall system performed well in two remote monitoring pilot studies in Finland. Mäkelä highlights that “participating elderly diabetes patients could easily adopt the technology, and they also had an improved feeling of security knowing that their readings were automatically shared with their trusted care team.″ Long-term impact The Glucostratus concept allows the recording of comprehensive blood glucose history and aims to improve the quality of diabetes care. Real time blood glucose data reaches healthcare professionals immediately and, in case of hypoglycaemia, gives them the opportunity to promptly intervene and take corrective measures. Project partners envisage a smartphone application as a future alternative for elderly diabetics with reasonable IT skills. This application will monitor the compliance and success of basal insulin treatment, and provide automated guidance to patients, empowering them to control diabetes. The Glucostratus system is already in use on a small scale by elderly diabetics in Finland, and future plans involve its expansion to other Nordic countries. Mäkelä emphasises “the need for investor funding in order to grow the business even further and take the system to international markets.″ The feasibility study involved meetings with experts in diabetes care, home care and health IT in Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and United Kingdom. The study confirmed the market need and thus the potential for the Glucostratus remote monitoring system for managing elderly diabetic patient treatment. The risk of diabetes-associated complications can be reduced if blood glucose levels are readily managed through evidence-based prompt intervention. The Glucostratus smart glucose meter promises to do just that, improving the quality of diabetes care in the home. Long term, the implementation of the smart glucose meter is expected to reduce expensive nurse visits, and potentially bring down overall healthcare costs.
Keywords
Glucostratus, elderly, diabetes, blood glucose, smart glucose meter, remote monitoring, mobile data, glucometer