Linking Community Resources in Diabetes Care: Can Technology Help?
One of the most difficult challenges in diabetes care is developing and implementing effective lifestyle modification strategies. Historically, programs have focused on changing individual behaviors with little or no attempt to integrate change within a larger social framework or community context. However, these environmental factors have been linked to poor diabetes outcomes, particularly in low-income minority populations. Recent evidence suggests that matching patient needs to existing community resources is one way to address these disparities. This not only positions patients to adapt behavior more quickly in a practical way, but it also refers patients back to their local communities where a support mechanism is in place to sustain healthy behavior. Technology provides a new and promising platform for connecting patients to valuable resources (also known as “assets”). This paper summarises several notable innovations that use technology to provide a practical link between healthcare and community-based resources that promote diabetes self-care.
