The Impact of Digital Innovation on Diabetes Care

In Australia, one person every five minutes is diagnosed with diabetes, making it the country’s largest disease burden.

The complex nature of the disease results in patients suffering from a myriad of comorbidities such as cardiac or kidney disease, retinopathy and vascular conditions.

By increasing awareness, promoting understanding, encouraging support, and investing in digital alternatives to traditional healthcare delivery, we can make a significant difference in the lives of those affected by this condition.

As it is National Diabetes Week, we wanted to take a closer look at what’s driving the diabetes epidemic, who is affected most, and how digital healthcare innovation tools like telehealth, virtual care and remote patient monitoring can make a real difference for both diabetes patients and healthcare providers by reducing instances of avoidable hospitalisations.

The Problem at a Glance

Diabetes is Australia’s largest disease burden, even though 80% of it is preventable.

The diabetes epidemic is being driven by weight gain in the population. The prevalence of being overweight or obese among Australians has increased from 2013 to 2023, the total number of people known to be living with all types of diabetes in Australia rising by 32% (source: Diabetes Australia, 'The State of the Nation 2024' report). Being overweight or obese is the second leading risk factor (after smoking) for many preventable chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes.

What is the future of treatment?

Diabetes care is largely dependent on patient self-management and empowerment. Patients with diabetes must make numerous daily decisions as to what to eat, when to exercise, and determine their insulin dose and timing if required.

At the heart of this epidemic are 2 million Australians living with diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes, and many more at high risk.

The numbers speak volumes. And behind these numbers are real people who are living with diabetes, and living with the very real concern for their health, the risk of complications and their future quality of life.

The impact of limited access to care is that most Australians living with diabetes are not getting regular health checks including:

• 50% not getting HbA1c checks

• 29% not getting their blood pressure checked

• 51% not getting their cholesterol checked

• 73% not getting their kidneys checked

• 41% not getting their weight checked

Diabetes and Its Impact on Mental Health

A recent study showed that a significant number of hospital admissions for psychiatric disorders occurred among Australians with diabetes. Hospitalisation rates for depressive disorders were substantially higher in people living with diabetes when compared to the general Australian population [54].

According to the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS), there are 1.46 million Australians living with diabetes – 1.27 million with type 2 and 136,000 with type 1. Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) also shows that in 2021, diabetes health-related costs were $3.4 billion – this does not account for the significant indirect costs, including absenteeism, and reduced productivity.

How Digital Can Support Our Strained Healthcare System

To foster success, clinically validated solutions that deliver targeted health advice to diabetic patients are needed at the point of care when they need it most. Moreover, integrated systems support care teams to operate efficiently and productively across primary and tertiary healthcare settings, encompassing GPs, specialists, allied health professionals, and community pharmacies.

The Australian Government's 'Leveraging Digital Technology in Healthcare' report highlights the following potential economic benefits that can accompany digital healthcare system integration and implementation.

Savings from Efficiency

Making better use of data in electronic medical record systems could save up to $5.4 billion per year by reducing the length of time patients spend in hospital, and up to $355 million through fewer duplicated tests. Additionally, up to 30% of the tasks undertaken by the workforce could be automated using digital technology; precious time that could be spent caring for patients.

Consumer Advantages

Digital innovations such as telehealth, digital therapeutics, and remote monitoring are transforming healthcare delivery and enabling patients to access care from the comfort of their own homes. Reduced travel time from greater use of telehealth is delivering consumer gains of around $895 million per year.

Unrealised Opportunities

Despite a $2 billion investment in the My Health Record (MHR) system, patient data is still fragmented. Telehealth use has exploded since 2020, but uptake of remote patient monitoring and digital therapeutics has lagged behind. Although AI is being used to guide decision-making and automate tasks to relieve workforce pressure, we are far from making full use of this powerful new tool.

Bringing Healthcare to the Patient

The rapid advancement of digital technologies has paved the way for delivering healthcare remotely, through innovations like telehealth, digital therapeutics, and remote patient monitoring (RPM). These technologies, which gained significant traction during the COVID-19 pandemic, are now revolutionising the healthcare landscape. Healthcare providers can monitor individuals with chronic illnesses like diabetes in real time. For patients with diabetes, this mode of remote care offers substantial convenience, allowing them to receive treatment from the comfort of their homes, thus saving time and travel expenses, and overall alleviating stress from what is already a stressful experience.

Particularly for those with diabetes, virtual care technologies empower patients to take an active role in their treatment and help prevent costly deteriorations in their health. Healthcare providers are exploring virtual care initiatives within hospitals and among vulnerable populations, as well as those residing in difficult-to-reach rural and remote areas. However, integrating remote care into existing funding frameworks presents challenges.

Although there are sporadic instances of case-by-case funding, there remains a lack of comprehensive pathways for financial support of RPM. The criteria for what services are eligible for reimbursement are often unclear, indicating that substantial efforts are still required to address these gaps.

Technology as a Lifeline for Strained Healthcare Services

Embracing digital technologies like electronic health records, telehealth, virtual care and remote care services can revolutionise healthcare efficiency, enhance care quality and safety, and make accessing services more convenient for healthcare consumers. These tools can address key challenges such as rising costs, long wait times, and access disparities.

Digital transformation in healthcare is already underway, with providers increasingly adopting digital tools and governments investing in digital infrastructure like My Health Record and state-specific systems. The surge in telehealth since 2020 highlights the shift towards virtual care.

To fully realise the benefits, enhancing digital health records and supporting innovative care models is crucial. Governments must continue to maximise the impact of their investments to improve healthcare productivity and tackle ongoing challenges.

Harnessing Technology for Boosted Productivity and Progress

It offers a range valuable functions in the delivery of diabetes care and healthcare more broadly, including:

• Increased Efficiency: Innovations in technology streamline service delivery. A prime example is the unification of electronic health records, which saves time for clinicians by eliminating the need to repeatedly collect patients' demographic information and medical histories. These systems also help minimise waste by avoiding the repetition of tasks and processes.

• Reduced Burden on System: Digital services can reduce the necessity for patients to seek care in highly resource-demanding environments. Remote patient monitoring, particularly useful for chronic conditions like diabetes, can identify health declines early, thereby reducing hospital admissions.

• Patient-Centred, Quality Care: Digital technologies elevate the quality and safety of treatment. Tools such as clinical decision support software provide healthcare professionals with instant access to crucial patient data and clinical guidelines, which minimises errors and ultimately results in a more patient-centred method of care delivery.

• Anytime, Anywhere Access: Technological solutions also offer greater convenience for both patients and healthcare providers. For instance, telehealth and virtual care tools enable patients to see their clinician and engage with their care team without the need for in-person clinic visits, thus cutting down travel expenses and overcoming geographic limitations to access healthcare.

• Enhanced Patient Engagement: Digital technology empowers healthcare consumers to take charge of their healthcare experience. It supports ongoing, precise monitoring of patient health and satisfaction by automating assessment questionnaires such as Patient-Reported Measures (PREMs/PROMs). Notifications and alerts can improve adherence to treatment regimens, ensuring patients stay on track with their health goals. Moreover, access to educational content and the ability to conduct video consultations provide patients with the knowledge and support needed to make informed decisions. By tracking patient activity between visits, digital tools help tailor care plans to individual needs, fostering personalised care and significantly improving patient outcomes.

Real-Life Success in Digital Diabetes Care

Diabetes is an increasingly common yet complex disease, often resulting in diabetes distress for the patient. Understanding how diabetes affects patients and modern society is essential to our health system. Research has explored the potential impact of digital monitoring using anonymised data of 440 type 1 diabetes (T1D) users.

After one month, it was found that their estimated HbA1c dropped from an average of 9% to 7.8%. After six months, this estimate further decreased to 7.7%, demonstrating the power of developments in self-managing diabetes care in helping to improve long-term outcomes.

Such findings underline the importance of strategies and interventions tailored to each individual patient's needs in order to successfully support diabetes self-management, empowering patients while also improving overall societal health outcomes.

CareMonitor for Diabetes

CareMonitor is transforming diabetes care with tailored support plans and a comprehensive approach to care.

Our world-class system, build under the guidance of an endocrinologist-led team and developed in collaboration with diabetes nurse educators and allied health professionals, helps patients meet their individual HbA1c targets based on a range of factors including age, gender, lifestyle factors and live clinical data.

CareMonitor for Diabetes offers access from anywhere at any time, ensuring premium quality digital diabetes care with unprecedented efficiency that can be delivered directly where and when it’s needed.

Find out more about CareMonitor Digital Diabetes Care here.