Chelsea and Westminster NHS launches diabetes app

Clinicians at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust have jointly created a diabetes app with supplier Sensyne Health.

The DBm-Health app was developed as a collaboration between clinicians and the supplier as part of the trust’s CW Innovation programme, which is led by the trust and its charity, CW+.

The aim is to allow patients to manage their condition at home through a smartphone app, where they can enter blood glucose readings, via a Bluetooth glucose meter or manually, as well as any other relevant information, such as when the reading was taken.

Clinicians, who have a desktop version of the app, will be able to see individual blood glucose readings and identify those who need targeted support and interventions, and then keep the patient informed via the app or text message.

Daniel Morganstein, endocrinologist and diabetes specialist at the trust, who has been the clinical development lead on the app, said it “has the potential to radically improve how we manage our patients, especially those benefiting from additional support in self-management”.

He added: “It uses only a standard glucose meter, available to almost all people living with diabetes. We are excited by the possibilities of this technology, which comes at a time when we’re trying to care for patients without them having to come into the hospital.

“We hope the new DBm-Health system will enable us to care for more patients by significantly reducing the time taken to contact patients by phone or email to review their data, and allow the team to focus on those needing support.”

Chelsea and Westminster’s CW Innovation programme aims to deliver innovative and remote care in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, with a focus on allowing patients to manage their long-term conditions at home through digital care.

The app is currently being issued to a limited number of patients, but will eventually be rolled out across the trust.

Last month, the trust also launched a digital service for HIV patients. The system, called Klick, aims to improve access to the most appropriate care for HIV patients.

The system uses digital tools to triage patients according to their clinical needs, and sits alongside a mobile app that patients can use to manage their appointments, complete health assessments, review results and communicate with healthcare professionals.