Researchers from Singapore have not too long ago launched a cellular software that teaches diabetes sufferers about diabetic foot ulcers and self foot care.
WHAT IT DOES
Developed in session with clinicians from Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) and Nationwide Healthcare Group, the app referred to as WellFeet delivers complete affected person training via animations in a number of languages, together with English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil.
It additionally serves as a log and diary for sufferers, gamifying the every day monitoring of their medicine, bodily exercise, and weight loss program. This information in flip permits docs to observe their progress and customise their train targets.
Moreover, the app contains a chatbot assistant for sufferers, which additionally delivers prompts for self-reflection to assist them achieve perception into their ideas and emotions, determine patterns or triggers, and finally take constructive motion to alter their behaviour or mindset.
The app was first examined in a analysis venture involving some 800 sufferers and caregivers throughout 5 healthcare establishments within the nation which probed their foot care behaviours. One other research additionally examined the app on 40 pairs of sufferers and caregivers from TTSH which later revealed constructive adjustments in foot care behaviour and diabetes self-care routines after one month of app utilization.
The analysis staff is now fine-tuning the app with a plan to probably combine AI and human well being teaching to offer “extra well timed and personalised help.” It’s slated to be launched as a free-of-charge app to the general public by mid-2024. The staff additionally appears to collaborate with the Ministry of Well being Workplace for Healthcare Transformation and buyers to hunt assist in scaling the attain of their expertise.
WHY IT MATTERS
Diabetic foot ulcers can afflict a 3rd of sufferers dwelling with diabetes. When left untreated, it may result in decrease limb amputation and enhance the chance of demise. It additionally has a excessive reoccurrence price, additional burdening sufferers with recurring prices of medicine.
Based on the WellFeet analysis group led by Nanyang Technological College, current apps for diabetes sufferers out there don’t embrace training and generally concentrate on measuring ulcer development.
Affected person training, they stated, is an important part of efficient prevention. What units their app aside is how training is delivered via animations in a number of languages, catering to multi-ethnic populations.
MARKET SNAPSHOT
Podimetrics from america is a longtime participant within the diabetic foot monitoring house with its related platform referred to as SmartMat.
The same monitoring expertise has been developed by researchers from New Zealand not too long ago. Dubbed FootSense, the system measures irregularities within the temperature of sufferers with Kind 2 diabetes to detect early indicators of foot problems.
