Increasingly, people with type 1 diabetes are wearing a glucose sensor. These sensors measure blood glucose levels day and night, generating enormous amounts of data - but what happens with all that information? ZGT and the University of Twente (TechMed Centre) are collaborating on DIABASE within theĀ Pioneers in Health CareĀ (PIHC) programme. This database integrates data from glucose sensors and insulin pumps with hospital information. This long-term project links sensor and pump data to hospital information -the goal: less guesswork, faster adjustments.Ā
It started with a simple idea: we should do more with the data we had collected. "Many people with diabetes have a glucosesensor," says Prof. Goos Laverman (UT/ZGT), diabetes specialist and project leader of DIABASE. "So, a lot of data is being collected. The question is: how can we do more with this data and use it to improve healthcare?"
From idea to voucher to database
That question led to DIABASE: a database containing data from about 700 people with type 1 diabetes. In 2020, the project received a voucher from the Pioneers in Health Care Innovation Fund. This voucher enabled the temporary appointment of a second technical physician who helped set up the project. "We're currently conducting research with two additional centers," says Laverman enthusiastically. "And thanks to the voucher, we were able to continuously include students: so far, we've completed about ten master's theses in technical medicine."
One student at the University of Twente, for example, investigated how long measurements with such a sensor are required to assess a person's glucose regulation reliably. International experts recommend two weeks. "The student investigated this in detail," says Laverman. "Two weeks appear to be a very good starting point, but if you want the highest level of certainty, you need to measure for about thirty days."
More informationĀ
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