Wider access, fast interventions
Clinical diagnostics specialist Digostics and University Hospital Southampton (UHS) are bringing remote testing technology to expectant mothers though a mobile phone system that can diagnose possible diabetes outbreaks and minimise their effect. The smartphone screenings for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are being piloted by the UK NHS Trust. As the first of their kind in the world they could improve global health outcomes by popularising the use of home-use oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) tests by the world’s health authorities.
“We hope this at-home test will dramatically change the way we deliver gestational diabetes testing during antenatal care,” said Matthew Coleman a Consultant Obstetrician at UHS. “It’s better for the patients to self-test in the convenience of their own home, minimises the antenatal appointments needed and frees precious NHS time and resources.”
According to the International Diabetes Federation, up to 20% of UK pregnancies are affected by GDM, with background risk factors including the age, ethnicity and body mass index of the expectant mother. Left undiagnosed or untreated, GDM can lead to perinatal complications like foetal macrosomia (larger than average babies) that warrant unscheduled or even emergency changes to the birth-plan to protect both mother and baby. Additionally, 50% of women experiencing GDM can go on to develop type 2 diabetes (T2D) within 10 years. The condition makes the child eight times more likely to develop T2D in adulthood. Prompt identification of GDM is key.
“Digostics is excited to work with UHS to explore how GDM screening can be streamlined through home-testing,” said Digostics CEO James Jackson. Digicostics founder Jackson said the new mobile health app can transform diabetes detection in pregnancy by taking the OGTT, a fasting test involving an initial blood test, the immediate consumption of a glucose drink and then a second blood test after a two hour wait] to the expectant mother. The outcome would be greater numbers of tests taken by patient, with lower test overheads for healthcare providers and an earlier return of GDM diagnoses.”
The OGTT is the only recommended test for detecting GDM but it is currently offered only in-clinic, the inconvenience for patients and the provisioning challenges posed for healthcare providers frequently constrains test throughput and can lead to delayed testing. From the admin resources it takes to book and manage clinics, the clinical time taken to run the service and the clinic space taken, this can all now be done with a simple test at home using the GTT@home kit. Patients are able to test at the earliest opportunity, meaning fewer delays and, if gestational diabetes is detected, they can be treated and managed quickly helping to keep them and their babies safe.”
The main aim of the Digostics/Southampton Hospital of the collaboration is equity of healthcare access and removing barriers associated with in-clinic testing that can be felt more acutely within specific at-risk patient cohorts. To support this, Digostics is creating multilingual home-user support.
“We also hope that testing at home proves to be appealing to the complete background social and demographic populations that we work with and we look forward to receiving feedback from those involved in the next phase of research,” said UHS obstetrician Coleman.