The digital diabetes management market, estimated to be $14.3 billion in 2022, is poised to reach $25.5 billion by 2027. The rising prevalence of diabetes on a global scale is one of the principal reasons for increasing the focus on developing and adopting better digital solutions for diabetes care. In addition, the increasing adoption of cloud-based enterprise solutions and the use of connected devices and apps are other factors supporting this market growth.
With the integration of technology proving more precise, accurate, and flexible in the effective management of diabetes, researchers and health tech experts are trying to close all loopholes in this ecosystem, trying to further simplify diabetes management.
That brings the discussion to the question, what does the diabetes technology market have on board for 2023? Let’s find out.
Focus On Convenience
The new digital solutions and devices that are to reach the market in 2023 will continue to have more focus on convenience than traditional diabetes management therapies or even previous iterations or counterparts.
Especially with the launch of the Freestyle Libre 3 and Dexcom G7 CGM, which features minimally invasive and accurate glucose monitoring techniques, the demand for convenience in diabetes management has increased more than ever.
Similarly, combined and integrated approaches for monitoring and managing diabetes will witness more research and developments, apart from standalone devices. Although the primary focus of integrated diabetes solutions is to provide remote monitoring for user convenience, they are expected to be more streamlined to improve connected care that is continuous, modular, and custom-targeted.
Besides these, smart contact lenses integrated with biosensors and drug delivery materials are also being researched to be used in CGM and to treat diabetic retinotherapy – again with a key focus on catering to convenience and accuracy among the diabetes population.
Reaching A Closed-Loop System (Artificial Pancreas)
In 2023 sensors, delivery devices, algorithms, and wearables are all expected to come together to put diabetes in the background for patients. This is aimed at creating a closed-loop system, commonly called an artificial pancreas, which can allow users to manage diabetes around the clock, cutting the need for most functions performed manually.
This includes eliminating the need for calibrating fingersticks, regular check-ins on a monitor or mobile app, and even making manual adjustments to insulin doses based on your diet, sleep patterns, and other activities throughout the day.
A similar artificial pancreas model was launched earlier and first approved by the FDA in 2016 for type 01 diabetes. It combined the glucose sensor and insulin pump technology with an algorithm trained to self-adjust insulin doses every five minutes based on the sensor’s reading. However, it still requires some work from users and has limitations on convenience, which includes having to manage their own mealtime bolus doses and occasionally recalibrate the sensor.
The concept of a genuinely closed-loop system came to the forefront in late 2022, and device makers have since then doubled up their research on developing a broad swath of new and improved sensors, pumps, and AI (Artificial Intelligence) algorithms that can actually communicate with one another, without the need for any human interaction. GluCare Health expects the closed loop Insulet Omnipod 5 to be launched shortly in the UAE and plans to be able to view real-time closed loop results alongside our patients.
Prioritizing Data Security
Lack of security to proprietary data and applications has been a major hindrance to the growth of the digital diabetes market. And since this is an emerging market, till now, there are no standard frameworks to protect the data stored and shared using apps and other digital platforms.
This is also influenced by the risk of theft, such as health insurance data, by third parties who can possibly use confidential information to commit fraud. This risk is believed to have an impact on slowing the adoption of mobile technology in diabetes management.
In 2023, diabetes technology improvements will focus on tightening security to combat these issues and inject confidence, assurance, and reliability in switching from traditional to digital diabetes management solutions.
There will also be a new focus on making diabetes technology affordable, especially for people coping with the high cost of devices and lack of reimbursement in developing countries due to rising inflation worldwide.
What is GluCare Health?
As the only specialty one-stop-shop facility for endocrinology and metabolic diseases in the United Arab Emirates, we always adapt our treatment approaches to the latest cutting-edge technology for diabetes and endocrinology management in general. Our clinical strategy prioritizes using technology to provide the best care to our patients.
Our GluCare Health app, exclusively designed with the integration of continuous remote monitoring features, has successfully been able to tick the checklist for criteria such as accuracy, convenience, real-time feedback, and user-friendliness in choosing an effective diabetes management technology.
With even more developments already on the horizon in 2023, we hope to work towards becoming a global pioneer in diabetes management that closes the loop once and for all.
