Digital Health: Diabetes Apps and Virtual Coaching

This special technology-based report provides an overview of diabetes, wearable glucose monitoring devices, smartphone-based digital health technologies, and attempts to answer the question:  can digital health help improve diabetes?

Smartphone-based digital health technologies are expected to transform the diabetes management market over the next decade by substantially improving diabetes outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. These technologies are engaging and empowering patients, improving glycemic control, and lowering complications. Digital health technologies are defined in this report as: diabetes smartphone apps integrated with blood glucose monitoring devices (both standard blood glucose meters and continuous glucose monitoring systems) and personalized “virtual diabetes coaching” services.

The adoption of smartphone-based digital health technologies for diabetes management is being driven by:

• the large and growing prevalence of diabetes
• heavy patient burden and treatment complexity
• poorly controlled diabetes
• spiraling diabetes-related healthcare costs
• the rise in global smartphone usage and increased accessibility to smartphone-based “telehealth"
• positive clinical data supporting reduced complications and healthcare costs.

Companies discussed in this report: Abbott, Ascensia Diabetes Care, Dario Health, Dexcom, Glooko, IBM Watson Health, Insulet Corporation, Lark Technologies, LifeScan, Livongo Health, Medtronic, mySugr, Nemaura Medical, Omada Health, Onduo, One Drop, Roche, Sanofi, Senseonics, Tandem Diabetes Care, Virta Health, and Welldoc.

Note: This is the third report in the Meddevicetracker Diabetes Management report series, including previously published:  Diabetes Management: Blood Glucose Monitoring Systems Market and Diabetes Management: Insulin Pumps Market.