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Using Cell Phones to Monitor Diabetes

Posted on: Saturday, 3 February 2007, 06:00 CST

By Anne Krishnan

FORGET GAMES AND RING TONES -- A Durham company wants to help patients use cell phones to manage diabetes.

Confidant Inc. has developed technology that lets mobile phones wirelessly receive, analyze and transmit data from glucose meters and blood pressure cuffs.

The system provides feedback for patients about their blood sugar and blood pressure levels, and gives doctors a way to monitor patients' health between visits.

Diabetes is reaching epidemic levels and taxing medical resources and patients' budgets, said Ron DeVizia, manager of diabetes services at Raleigh-based Kerr Drug. Solutions such as Confidant's will be critical for doctors and patients, he said.

"There's a huge need," DeVizia said. "The chronic-care model right now is not working."

Most diabetic patients test their blood sugar level several times a day and log the results. Some doctors ask them to fax in the data between visits. Others don't see the numbers until the patient comes in for an appointment.

Confidant's software sends patients' glucose and blood pressure readings to a Web server via their cell phones. Doctors can log in over the Internet to review the data before they see patients. They also can set up the system to notify them if patients stray outside recommended levels.

The software shows trends, calculates averages and graphs how the readings fit into the recommended range set by a doctor. It also reports how well patients comply with their testing regimen and sends text-message reminders if they're delinquent.

"We're trying to empower patients to take better control and ownership of their disease," said Thomas Wall, Confidant's vice president of business development.

Competitors such as Honeywell, Siemens and Health Hero make products that allow patients to send data by phone or the Internet.

But patients with diabetes are a diverse population, and not everyone has a computer or Internet access, DeVizia said, which gives Confidant's technology real potential. "The cell phone is probably one of the best ways we can reach out," he said. "I think they're on to something."

Confidant received Food and Drug Administration clearance for its product in 2005. So far, all of the patients using its products have been part of pilot programs.

The company raised $2.1 million in December to market the system. The money, which should last about a year, will allow Confidant to hire employees in product development, sales and marketing. The company will initially focus marketing efforts on building partnerships with organizations that incorporate its software into their offerings.

Structure House, a residential weight-loss center in Durham, plans to use an adaptation of Confidant's system to follow up with patients after they return home, said Bjorn Nordwall, Confidant's president.

Confidant also will market the technology to insurance and disease-management companies, and executives hope that insurers will cover the cost to patients.

Although the price would vary depending on the payer and the product, the company might charge a one-time $65 fee and about $1 per day for a subscription to use the software. Web access for doctors is free.

The company is setting up an operation in Hawaii as a stepping stone to Asian markets, Nordwall said. "Diabetes and obesity is not just a U.S. phenomenon," he said.

However, Confidant's reach in the U.S. could be limited by cell-phone technology. Only carriers that use GSM technology, such as Cingular/AT&T, T-Mobile and SunCom, allow data transfers from medical devices to phones using Bluetooth, Wall said. Other carriers allow only voice transmission.

As it evolves, Confidant's diabetes tool could be a timesaver for doctors who can't squeeze in diabetic patients for frequent checkups, said Prashant Patel, an internist at Cary Internal Medicine and The Diabetes Center. Still, he worries that it could cause information overload.

"It's great when someone is uncontrolled, but when someone is reasonably good, I think you may end up getting more information than you'd like," he said.

Wall said the idea is to make tasks that doctors already perform more convenient.

Staff writer Anne Krishnan can be reached at (919) 829-4884 or annek@newsobserver.com.

Source: The News & Observer

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