Digital Innovation for Community Gestational Diabetes Care
SESLHD has gone live with a new Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) service for patients diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM).
This is a significant development that will allow pregnant women to be supported from the comfort of home.
GDM is a type of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy. While women with the condition can still have a healthy baby, it is important that GDM is managed to reduce the risk of complications during pregnancy.
Patients from Sutherland, St George and the Royal Hospital for Women (RHW) who meet the criteria for this pathway are referred to the Community Management Centre (CMC) through the electronic medical record (eMR).
Patients are then able to submit their blood glucose readings via the RPM App. This creates a virtual diary and provides clinical teams with visibility of daily readings. This RPM initiative provides reassurance to our patients that they can be fully supported at home.
Justine Darling (pictured), Diabetes Educator at the RHW, says, "As a clinician, the RPM-GDM app has truly been a game-changer in our practice. Its user-friendly view makes it easy to navigate, while its efficiency and speed save us valuable time, allowing us to focus more on patient care."
This sentiment is echoed by Sue Mei, Endocrinologist at RHW: “We hope that our patients will feel more confident and supported in managing their GDM. With this exciting new app, we are able to use technology to streamline our service and provide the very best care for our women with GDM.”
This is just one initiative supported by the Virtual Health team, who are committed to improving patient care through innovation and digital solutions. You can read more about this work here and here.