November is Diabetes Awareness Month, a month channeled specifically into understanding and bringing awareness to this chronic condition that affects over 463 million people in the world. At Hattrick IT, we are committed to helping healthcare advance through software, taking special interest in highly regulated areas like diabetes management. This month, we’d like to spotlight the vital role of research, the transformative impact of software, and the work of startups that are reimagining diabetes care through technology.

The Role of Research in Improvement of Diabetes Care

Research is the cornerstone of progress in diabetes care. Innovations in early detection, treatment, as well as lifestyle management are only possible through rigorous scientific exploration and clinical trials. Diabetes is a complex condition with different effects on individuals; hence the need for continuous research toward personalized solutions.

Over the years, the emphasis has gradually shifted away from treatment for symptoms to ways of prevention and reversal of diabetes-particularly Type 2. Studies on glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and the role of lifestyle interventions have reshaped our views regarding the management of this condition. As a healthcare software partner, we celebrate these research-driven approaches and aim to help by partnering with startups or research institutions to develop digital tools that assist in clinical studies, data collection, and analysis to further help turn innovative ideas into actionable treatments.

Software's Role in Diabetes Management

The role of software in diabetes care has grown exponentially in the last decade. Digital health tools and mobile apps for tracking glucose levels enable patients to log dietary habits, manage medications, and even sometimes connect directly with providers. Software allows for a real-time management of diabetes, which enables practitioners to make instantaneous adjustments to the treatment plan based on data logged by the patients.

One of the most significant advancements in diabetes management is the ability to monitor blood glucose levels in real time using mobile applications connected to continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) or glucometers. These apps provide patients with instant feedback on how their activities, meals, or medications impact their blood sugar levels.

Diet plays a critical role in managing diabetes, but understanding how specific foods affect glucose levels can be challenging. Digital tools simplify this by allowing users to log their meals, track carbohydrate intake, and analyze the impact of dietary choices on their glucose trends.

Advanced apps like MySugr and Glucose Buddy incorporate food databases, barcode scanning, and photo logging features, making it easier for users to input their meals accurately. Some even suggest meal plans or dietary adjustments based on a patient’s glucose data, helping them make informed choices without the guesswork.

By enabling patients to track these key metrics—glucose levels, diet, and medication—digital tools foster a sense of control and empowerment. They help individuals understand how their choices impact their health in real time, enabling them to make proactive adjustments rather than reactive ones.

In addition, software solutions facilitate communication between the patient and the healthcare provider by making diabetes management more collaborative. Such tools as remote patient monitoring, data analytics, and decision-support systems will enable the clinician to access accurate and timely information that supports informed decisions.

Diabetes Management: Startups Innovating in this Area

The landscape of diabetes tech is dynamic, with startups leading the charge in creating solutions that make diabetes management easier, personalized and accessible. Here’s some of the companies that are making a difference:

Tidepool: Open Data for Empowered Patients
Tidepool works by building an open and free platform for people with diabetes to access and understand the data across devices. Tidepool lets users visualize and share data from their insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitors, and blood glucose meters all in one place. This provides a comprehensive view of their health. Second, they team up with device manufacturers and researchers to develop innovation within diabetes. Open data models, like that of Tidepool, allow for better decision-making by patients and healthcare providers in taking control of one's data.

Virta Health: Reversing Type 2 Diabetes with Digital Care
Virta Health has taken on the challenge of reversing Type 2 diabetes, medication-free and surgery-free. Its treatment model couples remote digital health monitoring with nutritional guidance designed to induce ketosis-a metabolic state through which improvements in insulin sensitivity and blood glucose control are realized. Equipped with a comprehensive digital care platform, Virta offers constant dietitian and physician support from anywhere at all times, helping patients manage their health from the comfort of their own homes. Virta's model epitomizes the power of lifestyle change and remote monitoring that characterizes the broader shift toward sustainable and accessible care in diabetes management.

Glooko: All Your Diabetes Data in One Place
Glooko unifies data from a variety of diabetes devices, such as glucose monitors, insulin pumps, and activity trackers, all on one platform to give the user an all-rounded view in terms of their health. It also lets patients and providers view health metrics in one place to drive personalized insights and timely interventions. Its integration with electronic health records ensures real-time, actionable data for healthcare providers to enable them to improve care outcomes.

Onduo: Personalized Diabetes Management with Data and Coaching
Onduo is a subsidiary of Verily, which has been pursuing personal engagement in diabetes management through digital tools with expert coaching. Monitoring of lifestyle metrics and health data enables personalized insights through the Onduo platform on better condition management. Access to the service entails receiving guidance from behavioral coaches and healthcare professionals according to individual needs.

Equ Care: Transparent, interpretable AI technologies grounded in cultural understanding.
AI-powered diet and physical activity coach, uniquely designed for the Hispanic/Latino community. By providing personalized diet plans rooted in cultural preferences and interactive support, Equ-1 Amigo empowers individuals to achieve optimal health.

Welldoc: Empowering individuals and their care teams to achieve better health outcomes
An AI-powered digital coaching app, to encourage the self-management of cardiometabolic conditions, positive lifestyle changes and better total health. They provide guidance and insights based on clinical standards, with FDA-cleared capabilities for type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

At Hattrick IT we love helping healthcare providers and device manufacturers build life changing software. We develop custom medical device software and guide every stage of the process with attention to user experience, compliance, and interoperability. It's an ongoing activity: partnering with innovators. So we are looking forward to contributing to building a future where healthcare is increasingly patient-centered.