10088794Design for Usability - Diabetes Self-Care SystemClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UK**The Need** By 2045 over 780 million people around the world will have been told they have diabetes. The costs of healthcare associated with these predictions are eyewatering; £2.5trillion worldwide by 2030\. According to Diabetes UK there are circa 5million people in the UK living with diabetes, and a further 500,000 undiagnosed. The cost to the NHS was estimated at £10billion in 2014 (10% of NHS budget). These figures are set to increase dramatically by 2034, with 7million diagnosed and care costs at £17.6billion annually (17% of NHS budget). This is not sustainable and demands the implementation of radical new care strategies supported by innovative diagnostic technology that help mitigate the immediate and peripheral impacts of these predictions. **The Problem** For 40+ years self-testing of blood glucose levels has been integrated in clinical practice through the provision of increasingly accurate measurement systems. However, the therapeutic value of type 2 diabetics measuring their blood glucose level 3x daily is now disputed. It amounts to monitoring the cause rather than assessing the effect, when it is the effect that matters in terms of patient outcomes and the cost of care provision. A radical repositioning of diabetes care is required and new technology that enables this to happen must be brought online to support the transition to more sustainable strategies. **The Solution** The NHS Long Term Plan aims to improve care through the provision of digital self-management support tools. The IDF points to inadequate disease management and therapy adherence as the root of the problem, and says innovative approaches are urgently required. The ADA recommends increasing the monitoring of glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) for diabetes diagnosis and management. However, there are currently no devices that measure the HbA1c and BG levels using the same procedure as SMBG systems. Dr Ben Field, Consultant in Diabetes Care, says "accurate HbA1c self-testing, in a user-friendly, informative device, would prove to be very powerful". A senior associate of his told us: "Shifting 10% of the type 2 diabetic population onto a self-test HbA1c based care program would be game-changing". With the right therapeutic strategy and strong patient engagement, it is possible for people with type 2 diabetes to follow a path back to a non-diabetic state. The SmartCare system provides the technology that enables a new approach and when it is launched by one of the main competitors it will revolutionise diabetes care strategy and improve patient wellbeing.