OREANDA-NEWS. Central Krankenversicherung medical insurers and Deutsche Telekom are presenting an innovative portal for diabetics as the core of an interactive healthcare program at CeBIT (March 5-9, hall 4, stand C26).
Type 2 diabetes can lead to serious secondary illnesses that may even include heart attacks. Adult-onset diabetes is, however, easily controlled if patients are prepared to change their habits.
The object of the online portal is to use electronic aids such as a step counter to help patients adopt a responsible attitude toward diabetes.

"Diabetes is not a matter of destiny. Patients can influence the course their illness takes. Our healthcare program equips our insurees to do precisely this," says Heinz Teuscher, Central Krankenversicherung CEO. The object is for people affected to learn to adjust their lifestyles. Even small changes in their day-to-day lives can enable diabetics to achieve big results: regular exercise and a balanced diet are two factors that can have a positive effect on their illness. Equipped with a step counter, an electronic blood sugar monitoring device and a smartphone app, subscribers to the program can now themselves test the impact that a piece of cake or climbing up steps has on their blood sugar levels.

Multifunctional platform
The portal, a joint development by Deutsche Telekom and Central Krankenversicherung, is an electronic diary, a coach, a learning workshop and a social network all in one. In conjunction with mobile measuring devices that participants can use in their day-to-day lives, the portal is the central tool that enables them to live well with their illness over the long term. Diabetics use their smartphone and an additional device to measure their blood sugar levels. An app reports back on current levels immediately. Besides this, a step counter measures the patients' movements. This data is merged with the personal diary on the interactive platform. In this way, participants' habits are reflected immediately and they learn to better understand the connections between everyday diet and exercise and their blood sugar count.

Social support and digital networking
Participants can use the portal to network with other diabetics, to set up groups and exchange information. Another core element of the program is individual telephone support, where participants receive advice from a medical coach (West German Diabetes Health Center, Association of Catholic Hospitals (VKKD), Dьsseldorf). Furthermore, a person they trust and name themselves is integrated in the program to ensure they have constant access to social support.

Lifestyle changes affect the course of the illness
"There is virtually no other illness that has been shown to be influenceable to such a degree by lifestyle - in particular by exercise and diet - as type 2 diabetes," explains Prof. Stephan Martin, senior consultant and director of the Diabetes and Health Center. The new health program is designed for fully insured patients who have recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Especially during the early stages, patients can take a positive influence on the course of their illness.

A common disease with serious implications
Around eight million people in Germany suffer from diabetes mellitus. Every day, over 700 patients are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and a large number in addition to this remains undiagnosed. Experts expect the number of diabetes patients to double in the next ten years. The reasons for this are the drastic rise in people who are overweight, the increasing consumption of junk food, less physical exercise and a general rise in life expectancy. Treatment of diabetes in Germany costs over EUR 48 billion per year. Most of these treatment costs are incurred as a result of side effects and complications. Many diabetics are not aware of the common secondary health issues, which include kidney damage, blindness, foot amputations and heart attacks. Patients who make the effort to adjust their lifestyles can delay the onset of secondary diseases or even avoid them completely.