Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital Launches Diabetes Pilot Program with Support from Verizon

The Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center has launched a pilot study with support from the Verizon Foundation that will use technology to  help care for  patients with Type 1 Diabetes.   As part of the study, patients received a smartphone (LG G2) from Verizon Wireless and a glucometer (Telcare). The goal of the innovative pilot program is to help pediatric diabetes patients take better care of themselves with the issued smartphone.

“Today marks a new day for patients and their families where we are using technology to better manage diabetes,” said   Steven Ghanny, M.D., research director, attending physician, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital, HackensackUMC.  “Telemedicine is the wave of the future and that’s exactly what this study is all about; remotely keeping a close eye on our patients to ensure they are doing what they are supposed to be doing to manage their conditions effectively and giving them the tools to accomplish this so they can be healthy.”

The patients will use the smartphones to access a website created by the HackensackUMC Information Technology team and Microsoft, called MollyBook; which is similar to Facebook, but is a private forum limited only to the patients in the study. The patients can use MollyBook to access discussion groups and anonymously ask questions to other patients in the study. They can also use this site to view educational videos on various aspects of diabetes care.

The smartphones are also equipped with three other Apps, including Skype so that patients can participate in a weekly video conference with the Molly Center Team.  The Go Meals App helps patients count calories and carbohydrates in foods. And, the Diabetes Pal App is used in conjunction with the Telcare Glucometer, which patients use to check their blood sugars before breakfast, after school and before dinner. The information is automatically uploaded onto a website, www.telcare.com, through a cellular line of service accessible to the patient, parents and healthcare providers involved in the patient’s care.

“As soon as a patient tests their blood sugar, the results will appear on the website, which is monitored by the Molly Center team,” said Dr. Ghanny.  “The glucometer will also give patients feedback based on their blood sugar level, so patients can better manage their conditions by helping them monitor their blood sugar patterns.”

Improvement in diabetes control will be measured by hemoglobin A1C both before and after the study. There are currently 30 patients enrolled in the study which will last three months. The study will continue for two years with a total enrollment of 300 patients.

Doug Schoenberger, vice president of corporate responsibility for Verizon, said: “Technology – when implemented innovatively – can have a positive impact on our lives. Over the course of this study,  young people with diabetes will be able to easily find information about their conditions, better track blood levels and engage with health care providers and peers to keep them on track and healthy.”

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