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Millions of Americans live with diabetes. For many, this chronic metabolic disease doesn’t affect their quality of life. However, diabetes can lead to significant healthcare costs and complications for many.
Proper diabetes management makes all the difference. As an employer, you can empower your employees with a Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) program. This perk supports early detection and long-term management. Besides lessening the impact of diabetes in the workplace, an RPM program can enhance health outcomes and job satisfaction.
Understanding the Impact of Diabetes in the Workplace
Diabetes is currently the seventh leading cause of death in the US. It affects more than 38 million Americans. However, experts believe over 8 million of these patients don’t have a diagnosis.
Between the population aging and many workers being sedentary throughout their workday, diabetes is going up. This trend has a cost. In fact, managing diabetes can cost $20,000 to $25,000 a year. It also has an impact on productivity and absenteeism at work. Missed work due to diabetes alone costs an estimated $5.4 billion a year. Besides, employees with unmanaged diabetes have a higher risk of experiencing health emergencies such as strokes or kidney failure, which can cause long, unplanned absences.
Managing Diabetes With Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) Technology
RPM programs enhance workplace health by supporting early detection and proactive management of diabetes. These solutions rely on technology, including connected glucometers, blood pressure cuffs, or digital scales.
Real-Time Data for Personalized Recommendations
Thanks to these connected devices, employees can track their blood sugar levels and other vitals. The data is then uploaded to the cloud, where a team of healthcare professionals can review it.
Real-time data transmission allows for fast responses to any changes. It supports employee health and well-being by connecting them to personalized recommendations from experts and enhancing visibility into health outcomes.
Managing diabetes looks different for everyone. With RPM, employees can play an active role in formulating a management plan that works for them. Besides, RPM can give them access to a holistic approach to managing diabetes with advice from nutritionists, endocrinologists, and other specialists.
RPM Use Cases
Adding an RPM program to your employer-sponsored benefits package can help detect pre-diabetes early, giving the patient a chance to reverse this trend. Regular monitoring and personalized advice can lead to lifestyle changes that reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 50%.
An RPM program can give an employee with a type 2 diabetes diagnosis more visibility into blood sugar levels and help track trends over time. This data can support better decisions that will reduce insulin resistance and help maintain healthy blood sugar levels, reducing the risks of developing heart disease, vision loss, and other complications from diabetes.
Manage Diabetes in the Workplace With VCD
Diabetes in the workplace is too often overlooked. It’s time to enhance early detection and active management with an RPM program.
Employers can unlock savings through reduced absenteeism and increased productivity of their workforce. Moreover, RPM is a perk that enhances job satisfaction and leads to lower healthcare costs for employees. It also significantly reduces the risks of developing complications related to diabetes.
Vision Care Direct can help you support workplace health with an RPM program. Our program includes onsite testing to detect early signs of diabetes up to seven years before they become apparent. We also give employees access to a team of experts who can support them in their diabetes management journey.
Contact VCD to learn more about how our RPM program can benefit your employees.
Summary
Too many employers overlook diabetes detection and management. Discover how Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) can leverage technology to empower employees to make better health decisions and reduce healthcare costs.
