A type 1 diabetic person lives in a continuous diet, he has to keep an exhaustive control of his glucose levels, practice moderate physical exercise, administer his daily dose of insulin, etc. These chronic patients, unable to produce insulin on their own, can extend their life expectancy by up to two years thanks to a Spanish research system and device that has just received the endorsement of the main scientific journal specializing in this disease, Diabetes Care.
“With our system, global monitoring is carried out by the health team, taking into account all the data of interest for good control and management of diabetes”, summarizes elEconomista.es José Luis López Sánchez-Pascuala, CEO and co-founder of Insulclock. We are talking about the first measurement system that has replaced disposable insulin pens with other smart pens. Linked to an application for smartphones in which all the data is gradually included, healthcare professionals also have a platform for exclusive use. The latest study on its use has also shown that the system “improves glycemic control and good satisfaction in patients with type 2 diabetes, as well as adherence and quality of life in patients with type 1 diabetes. In addition, it helps to detect and prevent errors in the administration of insulin by monitoring dose, time and administration of forgotten insulin”.
Insulclock’s CEO details elEconomista.es that the system is already implemented in about twenty public hospitals in Murcia, Andalusia, the Basque Country, Castilla León, Madrid, the Canary Islands and Catalonia such as the General de Segovia, on October 12, La Paz, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau or the Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital. “Currently, we are made different essays nationally and internationally with the collaboration of the different Endocrinology Units”, he adds. “Our dream is to cover the entire national territory in the next two years for, at least, patients with type 1 diabetes. We work very hard to reach that reality, since access to this type of technology for all people who need it is essential for us”. As of the first and second quarter of 2023, they expect to have closed their first contracts with the public administration in four Autonomous Communities.
We ask him if, until that moment arrives, there is a possibility of acquiring the system in a private way. “Our idea is that no patient has to pay any amount, we work so that access to this new technology for the control and monitoring of diabetes is through the corresponding Ministries of Health and the corresponding Autonomous Communities, the latter being the that cover the cost. Our mission is that all people have access to technology that helps them improve their quality of life and that of their families in chronic diseases, in this case we are talking about diabetes”. He anticipates that they are already working on a system similar to Insulclock that would help alleviate the pain.
With six million diabetics, Spain is the second country in Europe with the highest number of patients with this disease. As explained by those responsible for Insulclock, this system “significantly reduces the growing costs of health care, mainly due to complications due to lack of adherence to treatment.” They add that worldwide 10% of health spending goes to diabetes and that, in the case of Spain, the total health costs for this disease are 17,630 million euros per year (23% of total health spending). And they provide data on the savings achieved with this diabetes monitoring technology, which amounts to 1,550 euros per year for each patient with diabetes followed up with an Insulcloud 360 telemonitoring system (representing 28% total savings), as well as a lower number of hospitalizations and work absenteeism.
