Report Finds Digital Diabetes Tools Deliver No ‘Meaningful Clinical Benefits'

A new report from health economics group the Peterson Health Technology Institute found that apps to help patients manage their blood sugar levels delivered few of the promised benefits. However, a digital therapeutics industry association says PHTI’s research cast too narrow a net. 

Photo of man holding smartphone with app to track blood sugar open on it.
• Source: Shutterstock

Digital tools to help manage diabetes may be of little to no help to most patients, a new study claims. But the industry is already pushing back on the validity of those conclusions.

A report issued on 21 March by the Peterson Health Technology Institute (PHTI) looked at some digital tools and apps used by patients to self-manage diabetes. The field has seen an increasing number of entrants in recent years, driven by both the rising prevalence of diabetes and the importance of patient self-management in disease outcomes

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