A survey conducted by Quin, a pioneering, female-founded, digital health start-up, finds that nearly half (46%) of people with type 1 diabetes need to correct their insulin doses under existing medical guidance.
Furthermore, nearly one in five (17%) are not confident with the insulin doses they inject. To address the issue that the healthcare system cannot provide people with type 1 diabetes enough personal advice, Quin has designed a new diabetes management app to provide daily recommendations on insulin-dosing.
Two thirds of respondents to Quin’s survey said that they see their doctor three times a year or fewer. This leaves those with type 1 diabetes to manage their lifestyle and insulin-dosing independently for the remainder of the year. People with type 1 diabetes have to make approximately 180 decisions a day weighing a variety of factors that affect their health. This number of decisions made without support can cause significant stress and even difficulties with mental health.
A report by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Diabetes in 2018 found that 42% of people with type 1 diabetes experience elevated distress, which can have long-term health implications. Quin’s research builds upon this finding, identifying that 55% of respondents with type 1 diabetes experience anxiety and stress, 46% experience depression and 50% experience increased fatigue.
When surveyed about their opinion towards health tech apps in Quin’s survey, 75% of people with type 1 diabetes agree that health tech apps give individuals the freedom to better manage their lifestyle and wellness more independently. Similarly, 70% feel that introducing health tech apps into healthcare could alleviate many of the challenges faced by the industry – but just 23% currently use a health tech app to monitor their health and only 36% would trust an app’s diagnosis. These numbers indicate that there is a demand for health tech apps, but that the right product that users require is not there yet.
To address this growing demand, the digital health start-up Quin has announced the launch of its diabetes app on the Apple App Store in the UK and Ireland. This app provides personalised, continuous data-led support for insulin dosing decisions based on behavioural and physiological factors. Results from beta tests of the app show that 35% improved their HbA1c.
Quin CEO and Co-Founder, Cyndi Williams said: “Despite the best efforts of the NHS and healthcare providers, it’s not possible to support people with type 1 diabetes across all the different aspects of their lifestyle. With modern diabetes management technology, such as Quin, we have the opportunity to use learning technologies to provide better support based on real-life data and user experience.”
The health tech app is most suitable for people who use insulin pens and a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), but it’s also used by pen users who don’t have a CGM, making it a solution for the majority of people who live with type 1 diabetes. Currently the app is limited to the UK and Ireland App Stores, but the company plans wider availability in Europe early next year.
