Digital interventions for diabetes prevention

​​The modern world revolves around technology; unsurprisingly companies are leveraging the expertise of the digital tech industry to aid in the prevention of chronic diseases. Among one of the most common chronic diseases in Canada is diabetes. A growing number of tech products are currently in development and have been clinically proven to help aid glycemic lowering and prevent diabetes for those at risk.

The digital interventions range from smartphone apps to wearable technology. For example, the Nujjer is a wristband that monitors sleep and eating frequency and links to an app that provides diet, exercise and motivational advice. Omada is a 16-week online behavioral counseling program with nutrition, physical activity and stress management advice. The Omada program also includes a scale that syncs to your smartphone for easy weight measurements. Digital interventions such as these have the opportunity to support, activate, educate and engage patients in managing their health.

An increasing number of pharmaceutical companies are going beyond the pill and investing in technology for disease prevention and management. The digital interventions compliment medical treatment for optimal patient outcomes. Pioneering companies such as Merck and Amazon, Roche and mySugr, and Novo Nordisk and Glooko will expectantly drive other companies to make similar investments and may lead to digital interventions becoming a standard part of diabetes care.