The Agency for Health Research and Quality is soliciting information on ways technology effects diabetes care as part of a wide-ranging look at mobile approaches to one of the highest-cost conditions in the U.S.
In a notice on the Federal Register on Monday, the AHRQ said it was studying the impact of mobile health technology for diabetes through the Evidence-based Practice Centers. The agency plans to supplement its usual database search of published literature with publicly submitted use cases.
More broadly, the agency is focused on identifying different types mobile health technology for diabetes self-management along with the outcomes associated with those mhealth technologies and any potential harm.
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Several digital health companies have made diabetes management their primary focal point, including Virta, which wants to reverse type 2 diabetes in 100 million people by 2025 through its virtual medical clinic. Last month, however, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said it would not pay for diabetes programs that integrate self-reported data through mobile apps, prompting disappointment from Omada Health, another tech-focused diabetes prevention company that has partnered with health systems like Intermountain to help patients track their weight and diet.
At the same time, recent research shows diabetes prevention programs that incorporated technology-driven interventions led to higher than average weight loss and a lower prevalence of diabetes.