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Researchers from Singapore have not too long ago launched a cell software that teaches diabetes sufferers about diabetic foot ulcers and self foot care.
WHAT IT DOES
Developed in session with clinicians from Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) and Nationwide Healthcare Group, the app known as WellFeet delivers complete affected person schooling by means of animations in a number of languages, together with English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil.
It additionally serves as a log and diary for sufferers, gamifying the day by day monitoring of their remedy, bodily exercise, and weight loss plan. This information in flip permits docs to watch their progress and customise their train targets.
Moreover, the app encompasses a chatbot assistant for sufferers, which additionally delivers prompts for self-reflection to assist them acquire perception into their ideas and emotions, determine patterns or triggers, and ultimately take optimistic motion to alter their behaviour or mindset.
The app was first examined in a analysis venture involving some 800 sufferers and caregivers throughout 5 healthcare establishments within the nation which probed their foot care behaviours. One other examine additionally examined the app on 40 pairs of sufferers and caregivers from TTSH which later revealed optimistic modifications in foot care behaviour and diabetes self-care routines after one month of app utilization.
The analysis crew is now fine-tuning the app with a plan to probably combine AI and human well being teaching to offer “extra well timed and personalised help.” It’s slated to be launched as a free-of-charge app to the general public by mid-2024. The crew additionally seems to be to collaborate with the Ministry of Well being Workplace for Healthcare Transformation and traders to hunt assist in scaling the attain of their expertise.
WHY IT MATTERS
Diabetic foot ulcers can afflict a 3rd of sufferers residing with diabetes. When left untreated, it will possibly result in decrease limb amputation and improve the chance of loss of life. It additionally has a excessive reoccurrence price, additional burdening sufferers with recurring prices of remedy.
In accordance with the WellFeet analysis group led by Nanyang Technological College, present apps for diabetes sufferers out there don’t embrace schooling and generally concentrate on measuring ulcer development.
Affected person schooling, they stated, is a vital part of efficient prevention. What units their app aside is how schooling is delivered by means of animations in a number of languages, catering to multi-ethnic populations.
MARKET SNAPSHOT
Podimetrics from america is a longtime participant within the diabetic foot monitoring area with its related platform known as SmartMat.
The same monitoring expertise has been developed by researchers from New Zealand not too long ago. Dubbed FootSense, the gadget measures irregularities within the temperature of sufferers with Kind 2 diabetes to detect early indicators of foot issues.
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