For Immediate Release WellDoc Diabetes Thought Leaders Publish Article Highlighting Need for Integration of Digital Health Tools into Diabetes Educators’ Practices

COLUMBIA, Md., Aug. 28, 2017 -- Digital health leader, WellDoc®, announced today that two of its diabetes thought leaders and educators, Malinda Peeples, RN, MS, CDE, FAADE, and Janice MacLeod, MA, RD, CDE, LD, FAADE, co-authored an article published in the September 2017 issue of AADE in Practice, the association’s practice journal. Focusing on the need for diabetes educators to integrate digital health tools into their practice, the article was released on the heels of the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) annual conference in Indianapolis held earlier this month, during which both Ms. Peeples and Ms. MacLeod were inducted as AADE Fellows.

In the article, entitled “Are You Ready to Be an eEducator?,” the co-authors focus on the need for diabetes educators to move towards the implementation of digital health as a key delivery platform for diabetes education and care.    

To that end, both Ms. Peeples and Ms. MacLeod have been instrumental in the development of the recently launched “Diabetes Digital Health Learning Network.” Designed in collaboration with AADE and WellDoc, the Learning Network assists diabetes educators in gaining next-generation skills to integrate digital therapeutics into their practices to improve clinical care and cost-effective outcomes – as the article discusses.

The Learning Network, launched at the AADE conference with self-identified AADE members, will develop best practices to incorporate technology-enabled solutions for diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES). This select group of AADE members are onboarding their patients with type 2 diabetes onto BlueStar®. BlueStar is WellDoc’s flagship product, and is an FDA-cleared, digital therapeutic with clinically demonstrated¹ improvements in care that provides real-time and timely individualized coaching and support, as well as educational tools that are actionable and personal. AADE and WellDoc will work together in the ensuing months to include an increasing number of AADE members in this network. An objective of the network is to define the leadership role for diabetes educators in population health and to leverage patient-generated health data (PGHD) to improve outcomes.

Additionally, WellDoc, through BlueStar, offers users access to WellDoc’s full team of Certified Diabetes Educators (CDEs) via “Ask the Educator.” Educators can respond to users’ self-management questions and support the best use of digital tools with the healthcare team.

“Digital health tools are the future for educators and patients to help manage the complexities of diabetes treatment protocols and ongoing self-management,” said Ms. Peeples. “Furthermore, digital health tools that use evidence-based diabetes care and education to improve clinical outcomes can provide educators a platform to connect with their patients.”

As WellDoc executives, Ms. Peeples and Ms. MacLeod are respected thought leaders and diabetes educators who have held leadership positions with AADE at national and regional levels. Ms. Peeples is WellDoc’s Vice President of Clinical Advocacy, and she oversees all clinical outreach and research activity. Ms. MacLeod serves as WellDoc’s Director of Clinical Innovation, working with healthcare teams to integrate digital therapeutics into clinical practice.

“Diabetes educators need to be at the forefront of an evolving value-based healthcare system that involves technology,” said Ms. MacLeod. “The integration of tools, like WellDoc’s BlueStar, into clinical care and diabetes education extends the reach, effectiveness, and efficiency of the care team.”

About WellDoc®
WellDoc® is the leading digital health company revolutionizing chronic disease management to help transform lives. Our groundbreaking technology is guiding individuals through the complicated journey of living with chronic diseases, with a goal of improving their health and helping them to be more balanced. We are the first digital health company based on a life science business model, and our foundation is built on randomized clinical trials that demonstrate significant clinical outcomes. We have mastered diabetes management by taking an aggressive and innovative approach that utilizes sophisticated logic and precise algorithms, and integrates the most advanced mobile technology, behavioral insight, and diabetes education for those living with type 2 diabetes. Our FDA-cleared, proven digital therapeutic, BlueStar®, provides real-time and timely individualized coaching and support, as well as diabetes educational tools that are actionable and personal. Our clinical evidence shows a 1.7 to 2.0 point mean A1C reduction for adults living with type 2 diabetes who used BlueStar®. For more information, visit www.welldoc.com and www.BlueStarDiabetes.com   

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¹ Quinn CC, Shardell MD, Terrin ML, Barr EA, Ballew SH, Gruber-Baldini AL. Cluster-randomized trial of a mobile phone personalized behavioral intervention for blood glucose control. Diabetes Care. 2011 Sep;34(9):1934-42. Erratum in: Diabetes Care. 2013 Nov;36(11):3850. 

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