Using real-time data to help people living with type 2 diabetes make informed changes to their diet is the focus of a new research project funded by The Hospital Research Foundation Group.
Type 2 diabetes is primarily self-managed, with patients leaning on the expert advice from a healthcare team to ensure they stay on top of their condition.
But some people struggle to get on top of their condition due to barriers like cost, lack of understanding and limited access to healthcare. This can impact other aspects of their health, including their heart.
Dr Amy Hutchison, an early career researcher at the University of Adelaide, hopes that delivering telehealth dietetics paired with continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and education will improve health outcomes for people living with type 2 diabetes.
CGM are tiny sensors inserted under the skin and provide real-time data to a user’s smartphone or insulin pump, instantly flagging if their blood sugar levels are high or low.
This means a user can see how certain foods or beverages impact their blood sugar levels.
“The project aims to understand how integrating CGM with dietitian-guided nutrition advice can improve glucose management compared to dietetic guidance alone,” Dr Hutchison said.
“In providing advice, dietitians rely on self-reported dietary intake, with no objective data of blood glucose management, which is limiting.
“Incorporating CGM will provide a third dimension of individual information, which helps the participant to understand the impacts of dietary change on their blood glucose.”
Advancements in glucose monitoring has meant patients now have instant access to data, but Dr Hutchison said this had yet to be combined with dietetic services.
She said that this data could be used to help dietitians and nutritionists guide their patients to adjust their diet and better manage their blood glucose, which also impacts heart health.
This could be particularly beneficial for people living in rural areas.
“Access to consistent support is difficult for people living rurally, and those living with socioeconomic disadvantage, who experience higher costs, a lack of service availability, and poorer social determinants of health,” Dr Hutchison said.
“This project combines new health technology with dietetic education delivered in a remote telehealth model to facilitate accessibility, particularly for those priority populations.”
Funding for this project has been awarded through the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Catalyst Grant Scheme. Led by Health Translation SA and funded by The Hospital Research Foundation Group, the scheme provides a springboard for projects that have high potential for winning a future MRFF grant.
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