The diabetes pilot within BigMedilytics, presented at the Rotunda Hospital for the World Diabetes Day
The Royal College Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) showcased the BigMedilytics project and the gestational diabetes pilot to patients and medical staff during an event at the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin to celebrate World Diabetes Day on the 14th of November.
Around 60 million people suffer from diabetes in Europe, according to the World Health Organization. Gestational diabetes refers to the development of abnormal glucose control in pregnancy which resolves following delivery. Rates of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have been rising worldwide due in part to more sedentary lifestyles, increasing rates of obesity and advancing maternal age GDM can be associated with the delivery of large babies and birth complications if blood sugar levels are not well controlled. It is of great public health importance as women who develop GDM in pregnancy are at an increased risk of type 2 diabetes later in life. Knowledge of this risk and the implementation of simple lifestyle changes can aid in circumventing this progression.
The gestational diabetes pilot within the BigMedilytics project aims to reduce the number of visits for pregnant women to the hospital by allowing them to remotely monitor their blood sugar levels and also reduce the number of associated complications at labor. For this purpose, the pilot in which RCSI, Huawei, and Nissatech participate, is developing a complete monitoring system, including a mobile app (GDMapp) linked to the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin and a web portal to present the data to the medical team.
GDMapp collects blood sugar readings from patient’s glucometers, processes the data in real-time on patients’ smartphones whilst detecting trends and alarming patients and doctors of any out of range readings.
The application itself collects not only glucose readings but is also capable of collecting dietary data to offer context for those readings. It provides weekly summaries, as well as health advice. The app is also capable of setting reminders to measure glucose levels and providing motivational pop-ups to support the patients.
If you want to learn more about the gestational diabetes pilot, please visit the poster presented at the Rotunda Hospital and the poster showcased in the BigMedilytics event in Valencia.
