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Can digital coaching help people manager Type 2 Diabetes?

The role of web-based wellness support was highlight by Interactive Health, which previously announced a “member website that provides custom health pathways that will transform the way people engage in and improve their health.”

Indeed, the workplace wellness provider noted that “Interactive Health’s data indicates that individuals who engage with their member website have a 15-percent higher rate of achievement of personal health goals than those who do not use the online tools. Interactive Health expects that percentage to increase with the enhanced web tools and ongoing innovation.”

Now comes a new report from MedPage Today that “Digital coaching was an effective tool for helping patients manage their type 2 diabetes.”

It states: “According to a late-breaking abstract presented at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) annual meeting), engagement with a digital coaching program helped patients lose an average of 4.9 lbs and drop one percentage point in HbA1c after 3 months of participation.”

The report may help well-run workplace wellness programs — particularly ones that utilize effective digital tools — engage more deeply with businesses and employees.

Indeed, the study's senior author and the company's clinical director, Dhiren Patel, PharmD, told MedPage Today: “Based on these findings, it's important to engage patients beyond the clinic doors, and digital health coaching can help address a lot of the social determinants of health.”

Importantly, results from the report indicate positive results may extend over time.

MedPage writes: “These positive outcomes extended beyond just 3 months, with similar average reductions in HbA1c and weight maintained throughout 6, 9, and 12 months after the digital program was started:”

• “6 months: average 4.4 lbs weight loss; 0.91% HbA1c reduction”
• “9 months: 5.9 lbs weight loss; 0.90% HbA1c reduction”
• “12 months: 4.5 lbs weight loss; 0.92% HbA1c reduction”