Insulin therapy is an important part of treatment for many diabetics. Yet many who use insulin don’t achieve their treatment goals, and others who could benefit from insulin therapy avoid it because of the challenge of proper insulin dosing, which can be complex. Now two companies that focus on improving diabetes care are collaborating to create a solution to this problem.
Onduo, which calls itself a virtual diabetes clinic, and Glytec, creator of software-as-a-medical-device solutions, have teamed up to help patients optimize insulin therapy. Glytec’s GlucommanderOutpatient, a cloud-based insulin management system, will be integrated with Onduo’s virtual diabetes clinic to help people with type 2 diabetes manage insulin therapy and achieve glucose targets. Misconceptions around insulin and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) lead to confusion, and as a result, improper dosing. The result is insulin avoidance or discontinuation among people with type 2 diabetes. According to Glytec Chief Medical Officer Dr. Andrew Rhinehart, insulin is not the problem. “The problem is the complexity of insulin dosing. Everyone responds to insulin differently, so the key to optimizing insulin therapy is to ensure that dosing is personalized, timely and accurate, which is exactly what Glucommander Outpatient helps providers achieve.” One of the aims of the Onduo and Glytec partnership is to minimize the common challenges diabetics face when using insulin, such as hypoglycemia, emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and drug waste.
The hope is that diabetes care will become more personalized, accessible, and affordable. This integrated solution could lead to improvements in diabetes care and reduced costs for health care systems. Individuals could experience more confidence with insulin dosing, resulting in adherence to a care program and better health outcomes.