>> How Can Interoperability Help Lower The Rising Number Of Diabetics?
As the need for interoperability comes at the forefront of electronic health technology and mobile health devices, there is a growing need to implement interoperable standards of monitoring and data sharing for diseases such as diabetes. Many believe that interoperability will lead the way to future effective diabetes management and prevention.
The Link Between Diabetes, Prediabetes, and Interoperability
Around 1 in every 10 Americans has diabetes, with 1 in 5 not knowing they have the disease in the first place. What’s more worrying is that 1 in 3 adults in America has prediabetes, a condition that increases their likelihood of developing type-2 diabetes and other health problems.
More than 80% of these adults do not know they have pre-diabetes. It is very uncommon for regular people to keep a check on their blood sugar levels or go to a doctor for symptoms of diabetes and prediabetes on their own. In many cases, the diagnosis is only made after a person has had diabetes for some time. With interoperability, telehealth and mobile health via apps that input your blood sugar and vitals have become more popular.
Mobile Health Device Interoperability and Diabetes Management
These apps help people understand they might have a problem that they need to have checked and can also help those who have diabetes to manage their condition better. People suffering from prediabetes can use interoperable health apps to keep a check on their sugar levels and share the data with a doctor when needed.
Interoperability In Helping Lower The Rising Number of Diabetics
Interoperability is defined as the smooth flow of information between two systems. In healthcare, the information is often patient medical data that is being exchanged between professionals, machines, and the patient themself.
Diabetes is a preventable disease. Hence, via healthcare apps and monitoring systems, interoperability can help lower the number of rising diabetics in the following ways:
1. Monitoring Blood Sugar Levels Via Mobile App
Monitoring sugar via mobile app is an excellent way for patients with prediabetes to keep a check on their blood sugar and practice living a healthy lifestyle. It helps them record their progress and relapses so they can take a more holistic approach to diabetes prevention.
2. Sharing Medical Data With Healthcare Professionals
Through healthcare interoperability, medical professionals will have access to the patients' data via these blood sugar monitoring devices and apps. Not only will it help them out with online and in-person consultation, but good records of blood sugar levels throughout the day will give the doctor a better idea of how their body works.
3. Running Diagnostics And Analytics On The Data
A good database of long-term blood sugar and vital records of a prediabetic patient is perfect for doctors to run analytics on. It helps them understand the person’s glycemic levels and even see if they have been rising or dropping after any major surgery, the introduction of new medicines, or changes in the patient’s health.
4. Scheduling Appointments and Checkups
Since many prediabetics do not know they have prediabetes, it can be hard for them to book appointments and get professional help before it's too late. With better healthcare apps that are accessible to all, these people can be given reminders of when it is important to visit a doctor and when to reschedule the visits as well. This would help the patients stay on track to a better lifestyle.
The Main Takeaway
Considering the speed with which medical health technology is spreading, interoperability will soon be able to reduce the number of diabetics and others suffering from similar preventable diseases. The overall goal is to promote better health with modern healthcare practices, and interoperability provides us with the opportunities to do just that.
DevScripts Solutions is an IT Consultant Firm Specializing in Interoperability within the Healthcare Arena.
We are a small team solving big interoperability challenges on a daily basis. With our vast knowledge of interoperability we can integrate ourselves as part of your organization just like we are part of your full-time team. We develop a variety of custom interfaces for healthcare organizations such as Healthcare Vendors, HIEs, Health Systems, Hospitals, Medical Practices, Payors and ACOs using Mirth Connect.
We work with businesses in California, Georgia, New York, Florida, Texas and throughout the wider United States.
For more information on our services or to arrange a consultation call please contact us today.
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