Diabetes management

by | December 20, 2016

A new smart coach to help those living with Type 2 diabetes.

 

GlycoLeap allows users to take photographs of their meals and gets dietitians to rate and feedback.

A new smart coach supports people living with Type 2 diabetes to make positive changes in their lives and prevent long-term complications. This solution combines human expertise and mobile technology to nudge patients towards healthier habits and a better quality of life.

Digital health and data analytics company Holmusk launched its flagship product called GlycoLeap, which delivers human coaching via a mobile app and integrates connected health tracking tools, in August 2016. The app is available for iOS and Android.

“GlycoLeap is transformative for people with diabetes, especially in the way it brings diabetes care out of the clinics and hospitals, and into people’s every day lives,” said Nawal Roy, CEO and founder of Holmusk.

Diabetes affects more than 415 million people worldwide – a number that continues to rise each year. A 2015 study by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) found that Singapore has the second-highest proportion of people with diabetes among all developed nations with more than 10 percent of people aged 20 to 79. Three out of every 10 patients with diabetes develop the condition before age 40.

GlycoLeap uses concepts from behavioural science to drive positive health outcomes for those with diabetes. Through small and sustainable lifestyle changes, users can achieve moderate weight loss and improve glucose control (as measured by HbA1c) within six months of the GlycoLeap programme.

As part of the programme, users take photographs of their meals with the Glyco app. A coaching team of qualified dietitians rate the meals and provide daily feedback and support. Users are also provided smart devices, including a wireless scale, glucometer and fitness band to track weight, blood glucose and physical activity. This gives the coaching team a 360-degree view of each user’s behaviour, allowing them to provide the right feedback and support at the right time.

Healthcare costs associated with diabetes continue to be a major concern worldwide. Diabetes-related complications are a major cause of hospitalisation. According to a 2016 article in the BMC Public Health journal, Singapore’s healthcare spending for diabetes rose above US$1 billion in 2010, and is expected to soar beyond US$2.5 billion by 2050.

The high costs of diabetes – both for the individual and the healthcare system – and the personal nature of diabetes management, presents an opportunity for technologies that can provide scalable and engaging solutions for better diabetes management. GlycoLeap has the potential to fill this need.

Plans are in the works to develop tailored programmes for people with pre-diabetes as well as other chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol next year.

GlycoLeap is currently available in Singapore, and expected to become available in the US, Malaysia and Hong Kong by early 2017.

Currently Holmusk is offering a seven-day free trial of the programme which includes the dietitian coaching and website lessons. After the trial, users can still use the app for data logging (food photos like a food diary where they can comment on their own food, weight and blood sugar and exercise (step tracker) logs), however they will not be able to get any dietitian coaching/feedback or scoring unless they subscribe to the programme.

For subscriptions, there is S$69 per month programme with the smart devices and motivational packages mailed out on a monthly basis, and a S$20 per month programme, where there are no devices. The S$69 per month programme lasts for six months and will then become a maintenance program of S$20 per month. For more information on GlycoLeap, visit – https://glycoleap.com/.

 


 

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *