Gestational diabetes app wins national prize
06/11/2014
This article is more than nine years old.
An Oxford project harnessing technology to improve care for women who develop diabetes during pregnancy has won a national prize.
The team behind the GDm-Health gestational diabetes smartphone app received the Best Digital Initiative trophy at the Quality in Care Diabetes Awards on 16 October 2014.
The project is a collaboration between Oxford University Hospitals and the University of Oxford, funded by the Oxford Biomedical Research Centre.
Every year hundreds of women due to give birth at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, develop gestational diabetes - affecting about one in ten pregnancies.
The conventional treatment is for the patient to manage and record their blood glucose levels up to six times a day with their medication dose adjusted on fortnightly check-ups in hospital during the pregnancy. The smartphone app enables diabetes specialists to monitor their patients remotely through software on the healthcare team’s website which allows them to view blood glucose results in real time and the opportunity to text advice and directions on medication adjustments.
The system of remote monitoring has been positively received by patients. It helps reduce the risk of ill health during pregnancy for women with gestational diabetes, and helps reduce the number of tiring, time-consuming and expensive hospital appointments.
Dr Lucy Mackillop, Consultant Obstetric Physician based at the John Radcliffe Hospital - pictured above with Diabetes Specialist Midwife Katy Bartlett - said: "This is a fantastic accolade and an excellent example of innovative and successful collaboration between the university and hospital. It is also a fabulous boost for our wonderful team and all their hard work."
The technology was developed with patient input by Professor Lionel Tarassenko, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Head of Engineering at the University of Oxford, and his research group.