Kitchener company develops service to help diabetes patients manage disease
Kitchener’s MedManager Interactive Corp. has a new system called Live Well Coaching that combines Internet and telephone-based coaching from health care professionals to help diabetes patients manage the disease.
The Live Well Coaching program was developed in consultation with physicians, nurses, dietitians and kinesiologists, and reflects the Canadian Clinical Practice Guidelines for diabetes prevention and management. The program complements the care that people receive from their primary healthcare providers and other resources such as Diabetes Education Centres.
Dr. Diana Sherifali, an assistant professor of nursing at McMaster University and Certified Diabetes Educator, believes that services such as Live Well Coaching have the potential to lessen the impact of the growing diabetes epidemic. "The increasing prevalence of diabetes is a huge threat to our healthcare resources and models of care. Innovative programs that combine health professionals and technology to offer remote coaching support could result in improvements for self-management, health outcomes, and health system sustainability," said Dr. Sherifali.
The launch of Live Well Coaching also includes an affiliate program, called Partners in Wellness, designed to raise awareness of diabetes and improve the health of Canadians. Partners in Wellness will include physicians, pharmacists, diabetes educators, health benefit professionals and businesses that actively support employee wellness. Individuals associated with a Partner in Wellness benefit from a special discount on Live Well Coaching services.
For more information about Live Well Coaching, click here.
