Background

MyCareTeam, Inc. was founded to provide software tools that are designed to help people with chronic diseases manage their illnesses and reduce overall healthcare costs.  The company’s software offering currently provides disease management & monitoring in the key health areas of diabetes, weight management and hypertension.

MyCareTeam & Managed Care

MyCareTeam allows people with diabetes and their care providers to collaborate and monitor glucose levels, manage weight, and monitor hypertension levels across the Internet.  For example, people with diabetes use MyCareTeam to regularly transmit their blood glucose readings directly from their glucose meters to a secure database via the Internet or standard phone lines.  MyCareTeam can also be used to transmit pertinent weight management and hypertension information directly to care providers.

Once the data is stored, physicians, care providers, and family members can use MyCareTeam to monitor glucose levels, weight information and blood pressure. Direct access to this data allows the caregiver to understand lab values and examine the effects that exercise and diet have on a patient's health.

MyCareTeam data and reports are accessible over the Internet, thus allowing care providers and family members, with permission, to monitor family members—regardless of location.  For example, a parent can monitor a child’s glucose data while the child is away at college, and an elderly parent living in Florida can be easily monitored by a grown child who lives in Boston.

Market Overview

Diabetes

 

Worldwide, there are 194 million people diagnosed with diabetes that use standard glucose meters to check their blood glucose regularly.  Within the United States there are 24 million people with diabetes.  One and one-half million new cases are diagnosed each year.  The total direct and indirect cost in the US associated with diabetes in 2002 was $132 billion.  The human toll of diabetes is enormous. 

Life-altering complications of diabetes include kidney failure, blindness, amputation, heart failure, and stroke.  The nation spends approximately $13,243 on each person with diabetes every year, compared to $2,560 per person for people who do not have diabetes. Medicare expenditures for treating diabetic kidney failure exceed $5.1 billion each year, and diabetes-related amputations cost more than $860 million annually in hospitalization costs alone.

Many studies have found that patients who carefully manage their diabetes enjoy better health than those who do not. The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) is a clinical study conducted from 1983 to 1993 by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) at the National Institute of Health (NIH).  The study showed that keeping blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible slowed the onset and progression of eye, kidney, and nerve diseases caused by diabetes by 50-75% when treated intensively. The United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) demonstrated that tight glycemic control and along with aggressive blood pressure management reduce the risk of complications among patients with diabetes.

Weight Management

There are approximately 58 million overweight people in the United States. Over three million people are morbidly obese and 8 out of 10 people over 25 years of age are overweight. In fact, the Federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2009 that obesity-related diseases account for nearly 10 percent of medical spending in the United States, or an estimated $147 billion per year. Obese people spend 40 percent more on health care - or $1,429 more per year - than people of normal weight. Obesity also leads to greater risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and ultimately a shortened life expectancy. Regular use of weight management software can result in a reduction of weight and alleviation of chronic health problems in those that are overweight.

Hypertension

Approximately one in three adult Americans has hypertension, or high blood pressure, which usually has no symptoms. Without treatment, high blood pressure can lead to heart attack, stroke, and even kidney failure. Because high blood pressure can be without symptoms, is is considered a silent killer. Therefore, frequent blood pressure monitoring is essential.

Studies & Results

MCT-Diabetes has been in active use by specific groups of people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes for several years. Appropriate glucose monitoring in groups of people with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes provides effective management of blood sugar levels as measured by various parameters including HbA1C (Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School: McMahon et al. 2005; Georgetown University Medical Center: Smith et al. 2004)

Endocrinology Practice

Dr. Stephen Clement, an endocrinologist at Georgetown University Hospital, is using MCT-Diabetes with many of his patients.  Dr. Clement’s patients are followed regularly by a certified diabetes educator, Cherrel Christian, RN, CDE working with Dr. Clement.  The patients are instructed to transfer their blood glucose readings by directly connecting their glucose meters to a computer and uploading the data via MCT-Diabetes.  The patients use multiple vendors’ glucose meters, including those by Roche Diagnostics, TheraSense/Abbott, and LifeScan.  Ms. Christian regularly provides encouragement and information to the patients through the MCT-Diabetes web application and makes treatment changes as identified by Dr. Clement.

Boston Veteran’s Administration Hospital Study

(conducted by Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School)
A randomized clinical control trial of MCT-Diabetes was carried out at the Boston Veterans Administration Hospital with patients that were randomly divided into one of two groups- usual care, or web-management with MCT-Diabetes.  The study compared HbA1c levels at baseline and after a period of 12 months. 

Download Boston VA Study (PDF)

Georgetown Study

Patients with diabetes were enrolled in a pilot study of MCT-Diabetes at Georgetown University Medical Center.  Patients collected their blood glucose readings using Accu-Check® Complete™ blood glucose meters from Roche Diagnostics, Inc. Patients connected their blood glucose meters to their personal computers with Internet access to transmit their blood glucose readings weekly.  The glucose readings were transferred securely over the Internet to a central location where the patients and their care providers had secure access to the clinical data for review.  Graphical and statistical representations of their glucose readings and laboratory data highlighted areas of concern and identified patterns in their data.  Patients were automatically notified of lab values and blood glucose readings outside of identified target ranges. Providers evaluated the patient’s condition in between scheduled office visits.  Thus, areas of concern were identified before they became serious problems.

Download Georgetown Study (PDF)

Other Studies

Funding was recently received to implement MCT-Diabetes at Native American communities across the US and within the diabetes and pregnancy group at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland..  Since the MCT-Diabetes technology has already been proven in two previous studies, this study examines how culturally diverse populations respond to the MCT-Diabetes technology and how the technology can be used within the diabetes and pregnancy group of military personnel and their dependents.

Download Native American Study (PDF)