Arizona Care Network teams up with leading pharmaceutical brands to create diabetes patient network

Arizona Care Network, the physician-led accountable care organization, recently announced a new partnership with Solve.Care, a blockchain health care administration platform, and pharmaceutical giant Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. to create a new resource for patients with diabetes.

The Diabetes Care Administration Network is a mobile application that offers information and resources to more than 25,000 patients with diabetes in Maricopa and Pinal counties, helping them manage their conditions more effectively.

The application is an extension of Care.Wallet, an innovative personal health care application for families created by Arizona Care Network (ACN) and Solve.Care, and helps relieve providers of administrative burdens while allowing them to focus more closely on patient care.

“There is no cure for diabetes, but it can be managed effectively,” said Dr. David Hanekom, CEO of ACN, in a press release. “Our goal is to educate and empower patients to take the necessary steps in monitoring their condition and enlisting help as needed.”

More than 30 million Americans — 9.4 percent of the United States population — have diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among people with diabetes.

Recent changes to treatment recommendations for patients with diabetes “reflect the urgency in driving a fundamental change in how health care providers consider how they approach the care of people with type 2 diabetes,” ACN said.

The Diabetes Care Administration Network will take glucose readings, make lifestyle recommendations and educate diabetes patients about evidence-based solutions for diabetes.

The application will help patients improve their personal health and coordinate care among physicians, according to ACN. Family members can also use the network to coordinate care for their relative.

“The Diabetes Care Administration Network will help bridge the knowledge gap by providing a platform which offers vital information on diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in an easily accessible manner,” said Pradeep Goel, CEO of Solve.Care. “This is invaluable in the healthcare ecosystem as it allows patients to gain a better understanding of their disease while also coordinating their care needs.”

Solve.Care and Boehringer Ingelheim will evaluate expansion opportunities in the U.S. and beyond based on the results of the application’s initial launch later this year, according to the press release.

“We are proud to join Solve.Care and Arizona Care Network to provide patients and providers with additional solutions to help address diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” said Graham Goodrich, vice president of Cardiometabolic Marketing at Boehringer Ingelheim. “Recent changes to diabetes treatment recommendations have prioritized managing cardiovascular risk, and this program will help ensure both patients and providers are proactively addressing life-threatening cardiovascular complications associated with this chronic condition.”

ACN said the Diabetes Care Administrative Network is the “next iteration” of Care.Wallet, which combines blockchain technology, cloud computing and cognitive learning capabilities to let patients access their performance data, compare their success with others in the network and redeem financial rewards all from their personal devices.

ACN and Solve.Care announced Care.Wallet in November 2018 to “help relieve administrative burdens, reduce waste in the healthcare system and improve clinical outcomes,” and 80 percent of the organization’s eligible providers were using the application within six weeks of its launch, ACN said.