The increasing prevalence of long-term conditions, particularly Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), presents significant challenges for healthcare professionals. T2D alone costs the NHS over £14 billion annually and accounts for a substantial portion of local surgery appointments. Managing T2D is complicated due to the multiple lifestyle and self-management behaviours required. Current information sharing practices are fragmented and time-consuming, resulting in lower patient engagement and missed opportunities for appropriate referrals and services.
Moreover, healthcare professionals face barriers in co-creating integrated care plans for T2D patients, leading to suboptimal outcomes. Achieving target HbA1c levels is crucial for reducing the risk of cardiovascular events and mortality, but financial, organisational, technological, and time constraints hinder effective care planning. The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the need for digital health solutions and personalised care planning to support remote management and improve outcomes.
To address the issues of poor self-management support for patients with long term conditions, Healum developed a collaborative health information system consisting of a digital care planning software and a patient-facing smartphone app aimed at enabling healthcare professionals to support patient self-care.
The care planning software enables primary care teams to work with patients in identifying health concerns and objectives, while the mobile app provides relevant information and self-management tools to improve patient understanding, capability, and health outcomes. The app also aims to enhance the personalisation and quality of care, improve care efficiency, and increase patient access to support.
Healum recently conducted a randomised control trial to test the effectiveness of this solution amongst a population of patients with Type 2 Diabetes. The promising results of this trial are shown in the case study.
You can read and download the full trial report HERE