Health educator, The Sound Doctor, is working wonders for diabetes patients, with GPs reporting an 89% reduction in visits, according to recent statistics.
The Sound Doctor works with medical professionals with the aims of reducing visits to the GP and helping patients manage their condition independently.
This is increasingly important as the numbers diagnosed with diabetes continues to rise, with a resultant strain on health services.
According to Diabetes UK, there are over four million people living with the condition in the UK right now, representing a shocking 6% of the population.
And, with research suggesting that more people than ever are at risk of Type 2 diabetes, and with current statistical models predicting that over five million people will be diagnosed by 2025 in the UK, something desperately needs to change.
The Sound Doctor has expanded and updated its library of video and audio resources to include over 60 films focusing on how patients can manage their diabetes.
Videos include practical advice about diet, physical activity, blood glucose monitoring, and medicines. There are also videos about coping with diabetes, the regular tests that Type 2 diabetes patients should have, and guides to dealing with hypoglycaemia and anxiety.
Rosie Runciman, co-founder of the Sound Doctor, said: “Our objective is for The Sound Doctor to become a key resource in helping patients with diabetes practise self-care.
“By providing patients with detailed, accessible and comprehensible online information, they can manage their illness far more effectively and efficiently.”
The Sound Doctor is already proving to be very successful, with participating GPs seeing 92% of their diabetes patients exercising more, an 89% reduction in GP visits, and an 80% reduction in patients not attending their scheduled appointments.
In this way, medical professionals are already starting to enjoy significant savings of both time and money.