In a ground-breaking development for pregnant women in the south of England, a world-first at-home diabetes test for pregnant women pilot has continued to the next phase. This is part of a new partnership between diabetes home testing provider and BIVDA member Digostics and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS).
The test operates in the same fashion as a traditional oral glucose tolerance test, but is instead able to be used from home. For the pilot, clinicians from University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS) will be able to access the relevant data.
This will benefit both clinicians and patients as the former can make decisions in a more time-effective manner while the latter can test themselves from the comfort and convenience of their home.
Those at the greatest risk of gestational diabetes will be given the test. It works by connecting their smartphone with a midwifery team who are then able to access the test results straight away.
Gestational diabetes is a relatively common condition, which affects around one in 20 women in the UK. There are many factors which can increase a women’s risk, such as ethnicity or a high BMI. If undetected or untreated, the condition has the ability to cause serious problems for the mother and child. Complications include premature birth, preeclampsia and increased growth of the baby.
Experts are hopeful that if this practice is implemented widely, it will offer all pregnant women across the UK a greater degree of convenience and saving clinician’s and patient’s time by cutting down on unnecessary antenatal appointments.
You can read Digostics’ press release regarding this exciting development here.
