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Do a Google search for the word “diabetes” and you will get 170,000,000 results. How should you determine, which ones are accurate and reliable…?
According to recent discussions among American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) board members and key diabetes opinion leaders, the clutter of health care information on the internet — some of it inaccurate or even erroneous — makes it difficult for patients and caregivers to find reliable information related to Type 2 diabetes.
As a result, AACE has announced, with the support of Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc., the upcoming creation of an online resource, reviewed and evaluated by top medical experts. The tool is expected to be available later this year.
George Grunberger, M.D., founder and chairman, Grunberger Diabetes Institute, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and AACE Board member stated that, “Inaccurate or incomplete information can lead to unnecessary stress or confusion among patients with Type 2 diabetes.” “With the ever-increasing number of Americans living with Type 2 diabetes, and with so many resources already available, we need to make it easier for health care professionals, patients and caregivers to access reputable and reliable resources, as a foundation for treatment and care decisions.”
Recent statistics show that more than 79 percent of adults in the United States (U.S.) are online of which nearly 90 percent use the internet to look for health information. With nearly 26 million people with diabetes, including 90 to 95 percent with Type 2 diabetes, this patient population and their caregivers represent a very large group of online health information seekers. Yet, research suggests that less than 20 percent of online diabetes resources contain reliable information specific to Type 2 diabetes.
AACE and Takeda will offer a compendium of existing reliable resources, specific to Type 2 diabetes, divided into various categories (e.g., management, lifestyle, and tools) and reviewed by experts, to help health care professionals guide their patients and caregivers as they attempt to cut through the clutter of the many resources available.
“AACE’s partnership with Takeda responds to the needs of diabetes patients, caregivers, and health care professionals. This comprehensive resource will help individuals navigating the internet to find useful and reliable online information relevant to them,” said Lawrence Blonde, M.D., director, Ochsner Diabetes Clinical Research Unit at the Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, and former member of the AACE Board of Directors. “Diabetes self-care is an essential component of diabetes management. In addition to diabetes self-management education from their health care team, access to other educational resources specific to their needs can help empower patients to actively and effectively participate in their care.”
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S. Almost 26 million Americans currently live with diabetes, and at least 7 million are unaware that they have it. The global health care expenditures to treat and prevent diabetes and its complications were estimated at $376 billion in 2010. By 2030, this number is projected to exceed $490 billion.
American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc.