A new report questions whether digital diabetes programs are worth the cost
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Employers, insurers and investors have long been pouring money into programs aimed at helping Americans better manage their chronic conditions. But a recent study found that many of the programs available to manage type 2 diabetes don’t deliver results that justify the price tag.
The report by the Peterson Health Technology Institute released Thursday evaluated studies from eight digital tools used to care for people with type 2 diabetes. While the tools did reduce levels of hbA1c, an indicator for blood sugar levels, the reductions were too small to be clinically significant. The programs also drive up overall healthcare costs, the study said. Virta Health’s program, however, which uses a diet-based approach to manage diabetes, showed promising results.
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