Medical coaching is paying off for patients with diabetes that are plugged in to their medical advisors via a new communications app.
The app, produced by Twine Health of Cambridge, MA, connects patients to health coaches by taking data on patient diet and glucose readings and sharing it with the medical coach. In a study developed by Twine founder John Moore, doctors at Joslin Diabetes Center, and researchers from the Harvard’s T.N. Chan School of Public Health, patients who input the information and paid attention to their coach’s feedback reported improved glucose readings at the end of three months, compared to a control group.
Twine has been working on apps like the diabetes one to test whether the feedback loop works to improve health. The app model can also be used for patients with high blood pressure. A study last year suggested the feedback loop system helps patients better manage their blood pressure; Moore said the app could also lead to reduced treatment cost for the patients.
In the diabetes study, daily readings of glucose levels and reports on diet allowed the coach to adjust both insulin levels and dietary intake of patients on a daily basis. The app group’s hemoglobin AC1 readings, one blood glucose measure, fell 3.2 points during the study period, compared to a 2-point drop by the control group.
The results were published in the Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics journal.
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Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
