A hospital is piloting an innovative system which allows diabetic patients to monitor their blood sugar levels remotely.
Patients at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital in Dorset, in the UK, can now carry out the tests at home, and send their results back to be analysed over the internet.
Healthcare professionals then examine the data, and give 24-hour advice on how to manage the condition.
Professor David Kerr, a senior consultant at The Bournemouth Diabetes and Endocrine Centre, said: “In the first instance, we have used the system to help people already established on insulin pump therapy, allowing them to wirelessly download data from their glucose meter or insulin pump into their home PC.
“Within seconds, the patient sees the results in graphic form on their PC, while we can also view it in their patient record on our screen.”
The system has been developed by Axon TeleHealthCare, in partnership with the Royal Bournemouth Hospital centre.
The device was launched in November last year, but the Royal Bournemouth is the first hospital in the UK to trial it, and it is not currently available on the NHS.
But Axon TeleHealthCare hopes the system will eventually be rolled out across the country to treat diabetic patients.
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