written by Michael O’Leary
If you log your glucose readings you know what an additional pain it is to keep your records for four daily glucose readings up-to-date. Sure you use one of the glucometers that feeds the daily data into software on your computer that will generate reports, but you still you have time to get a computer and upload the data and run the software. Now a new device loads the data automatically, wherever you are, whenever you do a blood test and automatically runs the reports.
The FDA announced this week that it has approved Positive ID Corporation’s iglucose™ mobile health system for diabetes management. iglucose eliminates the burden of keeping manual logbooks and empowers individuals with diabetes to be more engaged in the self-management of their condition, according to a company press release. (Link to published site)
The device uses cell phone technology to upload your data from the glucose meter to a secure website, where reports are automatically generated, including charts and graphs that make it easy to see how well you are managing your blood sugar levels. Because the data transmission uses the same AT&T GSM network, you are able to upload the data to your online record nearly anywhere in the U.S. In addition to AT&T, PositiveID has signed a partnership with Rogers Communications in Canada, and will look to add additional wireless partners in the future.
Under current plans, Allison Tomek senior vice president of Investor Relations & Corporate Communications for PositiveID says you do not need be a cell phone subscriber to use the device, nor do you need to have any wireless data plan.
“The data transmission will be handled by PositiveID,” Tomek told Corengi by e-mail. “Prior to insurance reimbursement, we expect the price of the device to be about $100 with a monthly subscription fee to the website of about $10. However, we expect to begin initial pilot programs with insurers in the coming weeks and months with the goal of achieving reimbursement.”
From the web-based portal, glucose readings can be securely shared automatically with caregivers and healthcare professionals via text message, e-mail or fax. In that sense the device is as much a diabetes management solution as it is a data transmission device.
iglucose is currently compatible with many data-capable glucometers including: Johnson & Johnson’s One Touch® Ultra Mini®, One Touch® Ultra® 2, One Touch® Ultra®; Abbott FreeStyle Lite®, FreeStyle Freedom Lite®; Bayer’s Contour®, Breeze® 2, Contour® TS; and Nipro/Home Diagnostic’s TRUEresult®, TRUEtrack®, TRUEread®, TRUEbalance™.
The American Diabetes Association and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) have long recommended glucose monitoring and recordkeeping along with sharing the records with healthcare professionals as the best way for diabetics to manage their disease and for their care providers to assess the effectiveness of all aspects of the diabetes management regimen, including medication and patient behavior. The problem is that most people do not keep consistent and accurate logbooks.
Last September PositiveID released results of a survey of diabetes educators at the American Association of Diabetes Educators annual conference. The survey showed that 83 percent of diabetes educators thought the iglucose device would improve patient outcomes, 82 percent thought it would improve the physician-patient discussions and 76 percent said they would recommend the device to their patients.
Whether that comes about remains to be seen, but the company is optimistic about the prospects for the device. The company plans to roll out the device in limited markets to test and evaluate the system before introducing it nationwide.
“iglucose is a safe, flexible, convenient, cost-effective and straightforward solution that we believe will revolutionize the way people with diabetes manage their condition,” William Caragol, chief executive officer of PositiveID said in a prepared statement. “iglucose represents an opportunity to help decrease costs to our healthcare system by helping to improve disease management and patient compliance. This FDA clearance is an important validation of our product offering for PositiveID and we will work diligently to make iglucose available to everyone affected by diabetes in the near future.”
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