BIVDA member PocDoc have launched a world-first health check for type 2 diabetes that combines the gold-standard finger prick test with patients’ smartphones.
The test, which cuts diagnosis time from months to minutes, will be piloted by NHS trusts in Cumbria and the North East of England through the Diabetes Health Check app. Patients begin the test by applying a finger-prick blood sample onto PocDoc’s patented device, which runs a microfluidic assay, and then patients scan the test using the PocDoc app.
Trusts will target community settings such as religious centres, in line with the Government’s aspirations, before rolling out a take-home version nationally later this year.
Health Minister Stephen Kinnock labelled the technology a ‘game-changer’ while PocDoc believe it could save the NHS billions.
Diabetes care currently costs the NHS almost 10% of its annual budget. Therefore, measures aimed at monitoring patients’ risk levels and preventing cases of the disease could unlock huge savings for the health service. Meanwhile, it is estimated that over a million people in the UK live with undiagnosed diabetes.
