PocDoc launches world’s first smartphone test for type 2 diabetes
A landmark step in diabetes prevention has been made by PocDoc who have launched the world’s first smartphone-based test for type 2 diabetes risk, including the gold-standard blood biomarker, HbA1c.
Type 2 diabetes has been on the rise in the UK. Around 5.2 million people in the UK have been diagnosed with the condition and a further 1.3 million are undiagnosed. This has put a significant financial strain on the healthcare system, costing the NHS over £8.8 billion, with studies suggesting that the annual cost of the disease could increase to £16.9 billion in the next 25 years.
PocDoc’s “Diabetes Health Check” answers the need for rapid, convenient type 2 diabetes risk screening that reaches those most at risk of developing the disease. It is an easy-to-use service, designed to be used in the home, communities, workplaces and clinical environments.
The new service combines the HbA1c biomarker – the gold standard blood test for diabetes that provides patients with a measure of average blood sugar levels for the previous 2 to 3 months – with PocDoc’s proprietary smartphone technology (PocDocOS).
The test is simple; patients provide a finger-prick blood sample, which they place on PocDoc’s patented microfluidic assay (MFA). Using the PocDoc app, the patient then scans the MFA and receives their result almost instantaneously, enabling them to learn about their risk of the disease in a matter of minutes, in contrast to a process which can currently take weeks or months.
The risk of type 2 diabetes can be reduced by 50% through lifestyle changes. PocDoc’s test enables patients to understand their risk early enough and make changes to their lifestyle accordingly. The technology also supports the NHS priorities around type 2 diabetes prevention and aligns with the Government’s recently announced 10-year plan for the NHS, which focuses on home and community-based, digital prevention.
“Expanding into type 2 diabetes prevention marks the next step in PocDoc’s mission to advance preventative care for chronic diseases. This approach doesn’t just improve patient access; it helps ease pressure on frontline services and supports a more sustainable, digitally enabled NHS. We’re excited to see the results of the roll-out with our NHS partners in the Northeast and North Cumbria, before we take the product to market across the rest of the UK later in the year.”
The test is being piloted in the Northeast and North Cumbria as part of a testing project commissioned by the Health Innovation Northeast and North Cumbria (HI NENC).
“Digital testing services like PocDoc’s will make it easier for thousands of people to identify their risk of this disease, at the touch of a button. We’re delighted to be the first to pilot this revolutionary product in the UK, which has the potential to save thousands of lives.”
