‘Unite In The Fight For Tech’ for National Diabetes Week 2024. Great Initiative But Flawed!

National Diabetes Week 2024 has ushered in a robust campaign led by Diabetes Australia titled “Unite In The Fight For Tech.”

This campaign aims to highlight the importance of accessible technology, specifically insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), for diabetes management.

While this initiative marks a significant step forward and is highly important, the recent Government report “The State of Diabetes Mellitus in Australia in 2024” reveals a glaring omission: the absence of support for scientifically-proven digital health interventions as an important part of the solution to Australia’s current and growing diabetes crisis!

The Promise of Technology in Diabetes Management

The report and campaign of National Diabetes Week, underscores the transformative potential of insulin pumps and CGMs. These technologies are pivotal in achieving better glycaemic control and reducing the risk of complications associated with diabetes.

The benefits are manifold: insulin pumps deliver precise doses of insulin, mimicking the body’s natural insulin delivery, while CGMs provide real-time blood glucose readings, enabling proactive management of blood sugar levels.

Subsidies provided by the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) for these technologies have been a crucial support for many Australians. The report recommends further expanding access to these technologies, particularly for those with Type 1 diabetes, gestational diabetes, and individuals with insulin-dependent Type 2 diabetes. It also calls for inclusion of CGMs for people living with type 2 diabetes not treated with insulin. CGMs are also beneficial for those living with prediabetes.

The emphasis on broadening access to CGMs and insulin pumps reflects an understanding of their critical role in modern diabetes care.

The Current Campaign: A Critical Step in the Right Direction

Diabetes Australia’s National Diabetes Week 2024 ‘Unite In The Fight For Tech’ campaign rightly focuses on increasing the availability of insulin pumps and CGMs.

By rallying support for these technologies, the campaign addresses a significant need within the diabetes community.

The push for better access and subsidies aligns with the report’s recommendations, highlighting the urgency of removing barriers to these life-changing tools.

Hopefully in response, we will see the Federal Government step forward and implement these changes immediately, so that more people can improve their health.

The Missing Piece: Support for Scientifically-Proven Digital Health Interventions

Despite the commendable focus on insulin pumps and CGMs, both the report and the campaign fall short in addressing the broader spectrum of digital health interventions, as an inclusion and an essential component of ‘tech.’

The report makes a brief mention of telehealth, acknowledging its role in improving access to care, especially in rural and remote areas. However, it fails to delve deeper into the potential of digital health solutions to transform diabetes management on a larger scale.

Australia faces a national diabetes workforce capacity crisis in healthcare, exacerbated by the growing diabetes epidemic. A report from Diabetes Australia outlined the paucity of workforce available. With only 1600 diabetes educators, 40,000 GPS and 1000 endocrinologists, there is zero capacity to support the four million people who need help.

From living through Covid, we also know of the sheer reality: traditional healthcare models are straining under immense pressure, unable to meet the increasing demand of healthcare. The diabetes epidemic is contributing to this ongoing strain and pressure, with 12% of GP appointments being related to type 2 diabetes and over 1.1 million hospitalisations a year.

Digital health interventions can offer a solution to bridge this gap. Whether these be web-based programs such as the T2Diet Program, mobile health apps, remote monitoring, or virtual coaching, these technologies can provide the support people need in a scalable cost-effective fashion.

But, digital health interventions do need to be scientifically-proven, and currently there is only one scientifically proven digital nutrition program in Australia – the T2Diet Program.

The Critical Gap in the National Campaign

As part of uniting in the fight for tech, the current national campaign fails to include a push for access to proven digital health interventions, as a way to support the millions of Australians with diabetes. This omission is a missed opportunity.

Provided alongside the care of GPs and healthcare providers, digital health interventions can significantly enhance the effectiveness of diabetes management strategies.

For instance, the T2Diet Program is supporting people all across Australia to achieve incredible health improvements.

Enabling access to the dietary education that the T2Diet Program provides could transform the health of millions of Australians. And having access is crucial for people in underserved areas, where access to endocrinologists, diabetes educators, and dietitians is limited.

Moving Forward: A Call to Action

To truly “Unite In The Fight For Tech,” it would have been good to see the campaign broaden its scope to include access to scientifically-proven digital health interventions.

The Australian Government needs to create pathways for swift uptake of effective digital health programs into the national healthcare framework, to make scientifically-proven programs such as the T2Diet Program (and future proven digital programs) equally accessible to all Australians, as urged for in Dr. Jedha’s submission #255 to the Inquiry of Diabetes 2023.

Policymakers, healthcare providers, and advocacy groups need to collaborate to integrate these solutions into national health strategies, as currently many parts of diabetes healthcare, research and implementation are fragmented.

Expanding the focus to include digital health interventions aligns with the pressing need to address the healthcare workforce capacity crisis. It ensures that all individuals with diabetes, regardless of their location or socioeconomic status, have access to the education, tools and support they need to manage their condition effectively.

Conclusion

While the “Unite In The Fight For Tech” campaign is a commendable initiative, it is not without its flaws.

By focusing solely on insulin pumps and CGMs, it overlooks the broader potential of digital health interventions as part of accessible tech.

“The State of Diabetes Mellitus in Australia in 2024” report provides a strong foundation, but the next step is clear: to integrate scientifically-proven digital health solutions into diabetes management strategies. Only then can we truly unite in the fight against diabetes and ensure a healthier future for all Australians.

As we continue to support Australians through the T2Diet Program and DMP Memberships, we will also continue to fight to garner support to enable equal access to the program for all Australians.