CAPTION: The very latest tech was on display at the Advanced Technologies and Treatments for Diabetes (ATTD) event held in Madrid this February.
With increasing numbers of people with diabetes using technological instruments and gadgets to treat their condition demand for wider access to them grows.
JDRF UK has been looking into the use of medical technology and how to improve access to it for people with Type 1 diabetes.
They are part of the ‘pathways to choice’ programme and are based on the opinions of people with the condition about the provision of wearable medical technology choices their report features three broad suggestions:
● People with type 1 diabetes should have more time with specialist healthcare professionals at appointments.
● Healthcare professionals should receive mandatory training on type 1 diabetes technology.
● Clinical commissioning groups should do more to reach people with type 1 diabetes from lower socio-economic groups.
One of the recommendations includes the creation of a national diabetes register, modelled on Scotland’s SCI-Diabetes. This would have several functions including mapping type 1 diabetes technology uptake, recording spend breakdown per prescribed device, providing regional statistics regarding health outcomes, and empowering clinicians to see patient data in one system.
Advocacy Action: What choice is given to patients in your healthcare system regarding medical technology. How difficult would it be to offer choice and potentially marry the most appropriate equipment to the patient. Does your health have a diabetes register? URL: https://diabetestimes.co.uk/jdrf-report-publishes-access-to-type-1-technology-barriers-diabetes-addressed-in-jdrf-report/