Healthcare
The Future of Diabetes Care: Leveraging Digital Tools to Close Care Gaps
Featuring Richard Gurley, Founder and CEO, Ryse Health
Thomas Staskowski, Senior Population Health Strategy Consultant, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
Watch the full Webinar Here
Transforming Diabetes Care: Key Takeaways from Relay’s Webinar
This month, Relay hosted a webinar in partnership with thINc on “The Future of Diabetes Care: Leveraging Digital Tools to Close Care Gaps,” featuring industry leaders, Richard Gurley, CEO of Ryse Health and Thomas LAST NAME, Senior Population Health Strategy Consultant from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. Throughout the webinar, moderated by Relay’s own Vanessa Robson, the panelists spoke on the concerning state of diabetes today and the various tools that have been developed to address the challenges with diabetes. Diabetes care is at a pivotal moment, with innovative digital tools offering opportunities to close care gaps and improve outcomes.
Here are the key highlights from the webinar:
The State of Diabetes Care in the U.S.
Diabetes affects over 30 million Americans, with many facing barriers to effective care management. Richard shared that while two-thirds of patients are managed by primary care providers, nearly 20% remain unmanaged, highlighting critical gaps in the care continuum. Plus, the rising costs of medications like GLP-1s and the shortage of available providers in underserved areas worsens the problem, particularly for some of the most vulnerable populations. Thomas noted that better management of diabetes care has a great impact on patient’s other conditions as well, making a compelling case for improving diabetes care.
Digital Tools Revolutionizing Diabetes Care
One of the ways that providers and plans are addressing diabetes care is through the usage of digital tools. The conversation highlighted several innovative tools that are transforming diabetes care:
- Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs)
- Described as a “game changer,” by Richard, CGMs provide real-time glucose monitoring, enabling patients to make informed lifestyle changes and empowering providers to deliver more personalized care. Both panelists emphasized the importance of CGMs in engaging patients and driving better outcomes, with Richard Gurley noting that many patients find CGMs indispensable after initial use.
- Telehealth Solutions
- Helping to address the challenges to diabetes care access, telehealth is bridging geographic and socioeconomic divides. Richard shared how Ryse Health leverages video and phone consultations to connect with patients, reducing barriers for those with limited accessibility, whether it be due to location or transportation resources.
- Self-Service Tools
- Thomas and Richard both highlighted the use of self-service apps for tracking diet, activity, and medication adherence. These play a significant role in helping patients manage the “big five” areas of diabetes care: diet, physical activity, stress, sleep, and medication adherence.
- Personalized Digital Engagement Solutions
- Thinking about how to drive patients to use self-service apps and learn more about different care management strategies, Vanessa brought up the importance of personalized communication with patients. Richard agreed that “meeting them where they are” through personalized engagement with digital tools is going to get you better outcomes, because patients are going to better understand the information. They’re going to better understand things like what medications they need to take, what foods they need to avoid if the messages are tailored to them.
- Relay has supported numerous health payer clients design and deploy personalized diabetes care management using our HIPAA compliant mobile channel, the Relay Feed. Click the link below to experience a Relay Feed for yourself!
Overcoming Barriers in Diabetes Care
Panelists acknowledged that while digital tools are impactful, barriers such as technology access, provider shortages, and integration challenges persist. They offered practical solutions:
- Personalized Communication: Tailoring outreach to patient preferences—whether via text, email, or phone—fosters greater engagement and adherence.
- Simplifying Access: Providing hands-on guidance during initial setup of digital tools ensures patients are equipped to use them effectively.
- Addressing Rural Gaps: Strategies like satellite clinics, telehealth, and even traditional telephone outreach help overcome connectivity issues.
Driving Outcomes Through Value-Based Care
Value-based care models are enabling providers to focus on outcomes rather than volume. Richard shared how Ryse Health’s innovative payment model incentivizes blood sugar control, blood pressure management, and adherence to preventive screenings. Thomas echoed this, emphasizing how CareFirst’s value-based programs align incentives to improve both care quality and access.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Diabetes Care
The panel concluded with an optimistic look at the future of diabetes care given the continuous innovation in the healthcare space. AI has found itself as part of most discussions today, and this was no exception. Both panelists highlighted the transformative potential of AI in diabetes care, from coaching and streamlining telehealth solutions to automating administrative tasks, like scheduling, claims submissions, and data organization that enables more accurate and efficient patient monitoring and notifications.
Advances like Glycemic Management Indicators (GMI) promise more accurate assessments of patient health compared to traditional A1C metrics. Richard noted that A1C is flawed due to its potential averaging of really high blood sugar and really low blood sugar to be a good A1C, whereas GMI takes both the high and low blood sugar into account.
Lastly, Thomas mentioned that collaboration and communication is key to success. Stakeholders across healthcare must work together to innovate and share best practices, ensuring all patients benefit from advancements in diabetes care.
Key Takeaways for Healthcare Organizations
For organizations looking to enhance their diabetes care strategies, the panelists offered actionable advice:
- Assess your current care gaps and identify where digital tools can make the biggest impact.
- Establish clear workflow processes to support digital tool adoption.
- Focus on patient-centric approaches, ensuring tools are accessible and personalized to individual needs.
The Bottom Line: A New Era for Diabetes Care
As diabetes care continues to evolve, digital tools and collaborative efforts are paving the way for improved outcomes and greater patient care. By leveraging the insights shared in this webinar, healthcare organizations can take meaningful steps toward closing care gaps and delivering the personalized, proactive care that patients deserve.
For more insights, tune into the entire webinar conversation here.
If you are interested in learning more about Relay and the Relay Feed, reach out to sales@relaynetwork.com
If you would like to experience a Relay Feed for yourself, click here.