First ever diabetes insulin guidance system set for UK trials

Two major diabetes centres in the UK are to begin trials of the world’s first Diabetes Insulin Guidance System (DIGS).
The system, known as d-Nav, is designed to improve insulin therapy by using a patient’s blood glucose patterns to automatically adjust their insulin dosage as and when needed, and provide users with the updates immediately.
Its use will now be put to the test by the Heart of England Foundation Trust in collaboration the University of Birmingham and the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust’s Ulster Hospital in Northern Ireland. Both will focus on insulin using diabetics with poor blood sugar control.
The Heart of England Foundation Trust and the University of Birmingham are co-sponsoring a year-long observational study of d-Nav at the Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham, under the direction of Professor Martin Stevens, while health professionals at Ulster Hospital will conduct a six-month evaluatio, under the direction of Dr Roy Harper.
Prof Stevens said, “Clinical evidence demonstrates that weekly insulin dosage adjustments can be safely made based solely on blood glucose data the patient generates. Unfortunately this knowledge doesn’t address the reality that our current healthcare delivery system lacks the time, attention or know-how to deliver that standard of care broadly.
“Studies to date with DIGS have demonstrated the technology’s potential to bridge this gap between knowledge and more effective healthcare delivery to more people.”
Dr Harper commented: “Setting up our patients with d-Nav will put expert insulin dosage advice in the palms of their hands between their too infrequent clinic appointments.
“This could be the key to providing high quality diabetes healthcare to many more of those folks with type 2 diabetes using insulin therapy.”