WA families will be the first in Australia to access DiabHQ - an innovative new digital platform set to transform care for children and families living with diabetes.
Researchers from the Rio Tinto Children’s Diabetes Centre based at The Kids Research Institute Australia and Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH) launched the first of its kind mobile diabetes app - the DiabHQ Patient Portal - Friday 14 November on World Diabetes Day.
The Patient Portal is the first of three portals that form part of the groundbreaking new DiabHQ platform. The DiabHQ Patient Portal, which has been described as a one-stop-shop for families’ diabetes needs, has been co-designed with consumers and includes a range of functions to support diabetes management.
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is one of the most common chronic conditions in children. In Western Australia, there are more than 1200 children living with T1D and about 150 children are diagnosed with T1D every year.
Professor Liz Davis, Director of the Rio Tinto Children’s Diabetes Centre and Head of the Diabetes and Endocrinology Department at PCH, said that living with T1D was exhausting and unrelenting for the child and family, but the new app would take some of the burden away.
“Diabetes generates an enormous amount of data, including readings from glucose sensors and insulin pumps, and this can be overwhelming,” Professor Davis said.
The DiabHQ Patient Portal will help families to make sense of the data and make decisions that lead to the best outcome for their child. Our goal is for these families to live happy, healthy lives and reduce the stress and burden for them.
DiabHQ brings together different types of diabetes data and information including clinical records, pathology results, appointment details and survey results. As well as patients and families, clinicians and researchers will be able to access the digital platform through customised, interconnected portals that enable data-driven care and accelerated research and translation.
“By bringing this data together, clinicians will be able to understand the needs of their patients more effectively, and researchers will be able to recruit patients to trials and access de-identified data more quickly,” explained Professor Davis.
Danae Johnston’s son Jack (aged 11) was diagnosed with T1D three years ago. Danae said the diagnosis has been life changing for the family but believed the DiabHQ Patient Portal was a gamechanger in their journey.
Jack is one of thousands of Australian children living with T1D who needs regular insulin via injections or a pump to stay alive. His glucose levels need to be closely monitored to maintain them within in a safe range. Everyday Jack and his family have to carefully manage his diabetes to reduce his risk of both short- and long-term complications.
Having the Patient Portal app means we have access to diabetes resources and all the information that we need in one place. We can view Jack’s health data, manage his appointments, learn about new technologies and receive alerts about research opportunities. It allows us to connect with clinicians and researchers," Danae said.
“Ultimately easing the burden for those living with T1D and their families will improve mental health, physical health and quality of life.”
This groundbreaking new project is made possible thanks to the generous support of The Stan Perron Charitable Foundation and Rio Tinto.
“For families living with diabetes, every day brings unique challenges. The launch of DiabHQ offers a much-needed practical solution to make life simpler and more supported,” Rio Tinto Iron Ore Health, Safety, Environment and Communities Vice President Caitlin Westgarth said.
This World Diabetes Day, we’re pleased to support the Rio Tinto Children’s Diabetes Centre and its incredible work to transform care for children and families.