A wireless diabetes management and communication system.

Current diabetes management requires the collection of a large volume of data by the patient for analysis by his or her provider. There are numerous practical and technical barriers to doing this effectively and efficiently. In addition, the calculation of the correct insulin dose is complex because it requires considering anticipated carbohydrate consumption and exercise in addition to the current blood glucose level. A Diabetes Management and Communication System (DMCS) has been developed using a Compaq iPAQ Pocket PC with a Sprint PCS wireless AirCard. This system circumvents the problem of multiple proprietary programs for each brand of meter and permits the accurate determination of the proper insulin dose. Privacy is maintained by using only the iPAQ serial number as the patient identifier with access to the website protected by unique patient and provider passwords. The iPAQ was programmed with formulas that included: insulin sensitivity factor, current glucose level, amount of carbohydrates, appropriate carbohydrate:insulin ratio for that meal, and duration/intensity of exercise. Once the information is entered, an insulin dose is calculated, although an alternative dose can be selected. The data are downloaded to http://www.HealthSentry.net, where they are displayed in both tabular and graphic form. The patient may view the glucose data in both tabular and graphic form on the iPAQ. Thus a DMCS has been developed to assist patients and providers in improving glycemic control. A proof-of-concept study is underway to determine the effectiveness of the DMCS in patients with Type 1 diabetes mellitus who are currently using insulin pumps.