Researchers from the Organization for the Review of Care and Health Apps (ORCHA) have found that blood glucose levels amongst those with Type 2 Diabetes can be reduced by up to 1.1% when patients use digital health tools alongside their standard medication.
Patients with Type 1 Diabetes can reduce their blood sugar (HbA1c) by up to 0.5%.
The reductions in blood sugar levels are significant because every 0.1% decrease reduces the risk of retinal damage, kidney failure, ulceration, and limb amputation.
Additionally, patients with Type 1 Diabetes experienced a 37% reduction in microvascular complications (which can lead to blindness) having reduced their blood sugar by just 1%.
Eleven percent of people in the US now have Diabetes and 38% have pre-Diabetes. Health apps can help patients track activity, food intake, and medication, while giving peer support and remotely monitoring their data, aiding their physicians.
ORCHA’s researchers examined 25 global, independent randomized trials of diabetes control. The study, published in Frontiers in Clinical Diabetes and Healthcare, reported significant results, especially for the US.
Dr. Leigh, who is himself a Type 1 Diabetic, said:
“This is a commanding result which we hope healthcare payers and providers will take note of. With over ten percent of the population having Diabetes, adequate management is vital. Some of the consequences of this condition take time to evolve and are difficult to remedy. This study shows that health apps can be an effective part of this process, complementing other forms of care.”
The study is the first systematic review of these clinical trials. It aimed to establish whether health apps could assist with Hba1c levels. It found that in 21 out of the 25 trials, patients using digital health tools to supplement their care achieved better HbA1c results.
In 20 out of the 25 trials, there were additional reported reductions in cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and Body Mass Index.
Amongst those with Type 2 Diabetes, the improvements in blood sugar levels were similar to the benefits patients receive when using Metformin, a commonly used medicine to lower blood sugar levels which is often the first line of treatment for the condition.
Although researchers expect a drop-out rate of 40% when patients trial digital tools, there were lower drop-out rates when people with diabetes used them, at 20%.
In the trials, the average duration of diabetes for those using digital health was 12.49 years and the average age was 52. The researchers were surprised that this group, seemingly well entrenched in their self-management habits, was so open to trying new approaches, showing there is a role for digital health in those with well-established diabetes.
Dietician and clinical lead for diabetes at ORCHA, Susan Gallagher, said:
“The improvement demonstrated in the research paper is clinically valuable and a comparison could be made to the impact of diabetes medication. It is important that digital solutions are evidence-based, proving they can add value to a person’s care. This paper has shown the improvements that can be realized.
“Many apps exist but not all have the same standards or ability to show a positive impact. Individuals and clinicians should consider a trusted app when selecting one to support their care needs”.
Diabetes digital health apps which passed the stringent ORCHA health app review process (the Digital Health Assessment Framework) and are therefore recommended as trustworthy:
The CEO and Co-Founder of ORCHA Health, Liz Ashall-Payne, has been announced as a panelist at the 2023 ViVE conference that will take place from March 26 – March 29, 2023, in Nashville, Tennessee.
According to Liz, ViVE is an excellent opportunity to bring awareness to the importance of delivering safe and effective digital health solutions to the ever-changing healthcare system in the U.S., stating:
“Over the last decade, the delivery of healthcare has changed drastically across the globe due to the significant increase in digital health tools. We have a tremendous opportunity to provide digital therapeutics to patients, however, are unable to do so effectively as many of the digital health tools on the market are not safe. Focusing on delivering the digital solutions that are proven to be safe, which is what I’ll have the privilege of speaking about with other industry experts at ViVE, is what is needed to move the needle in a positive direction for the future of healthcare.”
Liz will take the stage during a panel titled, “Delivering Virtual Care with Intention” on Monday, March 27 with other professionals in the healthcare industry, who will be announced soon.
ViVE is an annual curated conference for senior leaders in the digital health and healthcare industry. While the event itself changes its geographic location within the U.S. from year to year; it focuses on digital health innovation and the business of healthcare systems. This year, ViVE will take place over the course of four days in Nashville and convene senior and executive leaders in the digital healthcare space, provide an environment to drive growth opportunities through curated connections, and more.
A research team at ORCHA, the Organization for the Review of Care and Health Apps, has examined the privacy policies of 25 period tracker apps and revealed significant flaws. This follows the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the constitutional right to an abortion, leaving privacy experts concerned that data from period-tracking apps could be used to penalize anyone seeking to terminate a pregnancy.
Intimate data stored in some of these apps can show details of sexual activity, contraception used, and when the user’s period stops and starts. Amongst the 25 period tracker apps from 24 app developers it examined, ORCHA discovered only one single app which kept all the sensitive data on the mobile phone or device owned by the user.
Furthermore, 84% of the apps allowed the sharing of personal and sensitive health data beyond the developer’s system, with third parties. At 68%, the majority did so for marketing, 40% for research, and 40% for improving developer services of the app itself.
Amongst those sharing data with third parties, only one single app demonstrated best practice by explicitly asking users for permission within the app itself, rather than bundling this into the Terms and Conditions, which very few people read.
ORCHA believes there is an industry-wide issue with where and when users are asked for their permission to share their data. This often comes at the beginning of the app registration process, with new users being asked to tick overall consent to the Terms and Conditions and the Privacy Policy. Having signed away control of their personal data within minutes of downloading a new app, it then becomes hard to regain control. Five of the apps tested offered no email address or telephone number for the app developer, which would have allowed users to request that their data be deleted, although this is a legal requirement.
Tim Andrews, COO of ORCHA, said:
“It would be best practice for an app to have a ‘consent’ page that’s easily accessed from the main menu. Each individual permission could then be ticked or unticked at any time. So, a user wanting to guarantee privacy, could easily change their mind and untick the permission to share with third parties.”
Beyond sharing data with third parties, ORCHA found other data security concerns including:
Jon Warner, U.S. President of ORCHA also voiced his concerns by adding:
“With the recent decision by the US Supreme Court to overturn the constitutional right to an abortion, there is valid concern that data from popular period-tracking apps could be shared; leading to potential penalizations for those seeking to terminate pregnancies. Safeguarding digital information is a large concern for Americans right now, and it is vital that we take the necessary steps to ensure that we’re using safe digital tools that protect people’s privacy. ”