South London Diabetes Test Bed

"Clinicians and managers are working together across South London to develop innovative ways of managing a growing number of people with diabetes. With a population of over 3 million, there are 159,819 people identified as having either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes and managing the growing impact is a major clinical challenge.

For most people with diabetes, their condition can be managed at their GP practice and they do not need regular hospital visits. Those people with diabetes tell us that if they were given the opportunity and the knowledge, they could manage their condition better. Our GPs and practice nurses feel that they could better support their patients if they had access to the most up to date results and reports on their condition and the ability to share these with their patients. We want to use some of the digital tools that are already available and on the market and use them is a way that maximises their impact to help both our patients and our clinicians to resolve these issues.

Using digital solutions we can put the patient in control of their own health in a way that fits with the busy lifestyles of the 21st century. We want conversations between clinicians and patients to be truly collaborative, so patients develop a care plan in which they set their own health goals and are provided with the tools and techniques to manage their condition. Using Cloud computing we can share this information digitally so all those involved have the most up to date information at their fingertips. Through patient focused care planning we will see more people achieving the goals they set themselves, an improvement in their health and a reduced reliance on health care professionals.

Patients will receive their test results and information about their condition through a fun, animated video using a 'facebook' style approach via an app on their phone or website. The video is key to engaging patients, putting their condition into a real life context beyond that of doctors and hospitals.

The package is completed with access to virtual tailored support and education, links to local networks and established groups.

With a history of success in delivering change by working together, South London are confident that we have the knowledge and experience to deliver a new way of working that will empower patients and make whole scale population change in diabetes."