For the first time in Italy, data from glucose sensors enters the electronic health record. Virtuous example in Europe of telemedicine and digital health services
Now available in Tuscany, for the first time in Italy, the integration between the glucose measurement system with Abbott FreeStyle Libre sensors and the Electronic Health Record. It will allow people with diabetes residing in Tuscany to consult the glycemic values, detected through the FreeStyle Libre sensors, directly within the Electronic Health Record of the Tuscany Region, therefore easily accessible to doctors of diabetes facilities or general practitioners who have treat those patients. A unique innovative experience in the field of public health which is also a simplification, both for the health of patients and for the diagnosis and treatment work that is the responsibility of doctors.
Self-monitoring is a consolidated practice in diabetic patients who, due to the nature of the disease, need to constantly monitor blood glucose concentration values. The possibility of having your medical history recorded in the electronic health record represents an important evolution in the treatment path, as it will allow you to have a snapshot of your health with immediate availability of data available to professionals.
“In Tuscany there are 250 thousand citizens who are affected by diabetic pathology, both type 1, i.e. insulin dependent, and type 2, i.e. not insulin dependent but which progresses with age – underlines the president of the Tuscany Region, Eugenio Giani – But now, thanks to this innovation, they will be able to find the data read by their sensor within their electronic health record. An absolute novelty, which I am convinced will soon be imitated in other realities as well, and which we wanted and were able to introduce thanks to the collaboration with the multinational Abbott which, by providing this service, raises the level of awareness of the disease and puts patients in a position to be able to manage diabetes better, a fundamental element.”
Tuscany is a virtuous example in Europe and the first in Italy to develop this direct data integration and to use the electronic health record with which all citizens are equipped for home telemonitoring.
“This new technology – explains engineer Andrea Belardinelli, head of the digital healthcare and innovation sector of the Tuscany Region – integrates perfectly with the IT platforms developed by our region with a view to simplification, facilitating access to healthcare services and continuity of care between the doctor, the specialist and the patient. The sensors in use are those already supplied by the regional healthcare system to diabetic patients, i.e. FGM (Flash glucose monitoring) sensors, while the integration engine that we have developed is an 'open' solution and therefore implementable with any supplier of medical devices present on the market, also for other chronic pathologies.”
“Abbott's objective is to provide technologies capable of positively changing the lives of people with diabetes and reducing overall costs for the system by improving its efficiency – declares Massimiliano Bindi, CEO of Abbott Italia – The partnership with the Tuscany Region constitutes a virtuous example of collaboration with the Healthcare System in order to make the services dedicated to people with diabetes more inclusive, accessible and widespread. Together we can develop digital health services where systems and tools are interconnected, in line with the provisions of the PNRR. That's why we're revolutionizing health with simple, affordable technologies that give people the data and insights they need to help them live healthier lives. Existing partnerships, such as the one with the Tuscany Region, and future ones are a great opportunity to encourage digital transformation in healthcare and to offer high-quality services for citizens and healthcare workers.”
Abbott's FreeStyle Libre portfolio offers several glucose monitoring devices with sensors in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The different solutions include a sensor, which is applied to the back of the arm for up to 14 days, paired to a reader or smartphone application that displays glucose readings and trends over time. In Tuscany, the glucose values detected by the FreeStyle Libre sensor and automatically loaded into the LibreView telemonitoring platform, with the FreeStyle LibreLink app, can now be directly read and stored also through the electronic health record with which every Tuscan citizen is equipped, thus simplifying the transition towards increasingly personalized assistance and a global and unified vision of the state of health, in line with the objectives defined by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) for the strengthening of the Electronic Health Record in its version 2.0.
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