Pic shows Lindsey with her husband Jayden, son Lonnie, and daughter Harlow
A lifelong diabetes patient has spoken of how My Diabetes My Way (MDMW) has helped her take responsibility for her health as the University of Dundee-developed app celebrates a milestone anniversary.
Lindsey Hoggan was only 18 months old when she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Diabetes control was always a major part of her life growing up but it would be almost 30 years before she discovered the healthcare empowerment that MDMW offers.
The first patient to access their diabetes data on MDMW did so in December 2010, and more than 50,000 people living with diabetes across Scotland are now using it to manage their condition.
MDMW was developed by Drs Scott Cunningham and Debbie Wake and, over the past 15 years, has been shown to have the potential to save the health services millions of pounds every year while improving the quality of life of those who use it.
Thirty-one-year-old Lindsey, from Auchtermuchy in Fife, agrees with the latter point and says she would encourage any diabetes patient to give the app a try.
She said, “My Diabetes My Way is amazing. It used to be the case that you would get blood tests done then you wouldn’t hear anything until your next appointment but with the app you have all your results at your fingertips.
“My mum brought me up to know that my diabetes didn’t define me and so it hasn’t stopped me from doing anything so long as my diabetes was under control. My original consultant retired during Covid, but when I eventually got a new consultant they pointed me in the direction of the app.
“You see everything in the round. It’s not just figures. Seeing your targets and how you can influence your own health really makes you accountable for your diabetes management and that’s very empowering for patients. When I was younger my only concern was my blood sugar levels but now I’m looking at liver and kidney test functions as well and ensuring I stay healthy.”
MDMW was developed to provide patients with an accessible means of managing their routine care. It contains multimedia resources, online learning courses and offers people with diabetes access to their electronic personal health record (ePHR), facilitating personalised advice.
An analysis of MDMW data found that users of the service were likely to experience an improvement in their quality of life and their diabetes control. It is estimated that every £1 spent on MDMW has resulted in £5 of cost savings through a reduction in heart, kidney, eye and foot disease for patients and a reduction in treatment and medication costs to the NHS.
“This is a real milestone for MDMW and we are proud that so many people like Lindsey are able to manage their own condition so successfully as a result of what we developed here,” said Dr Cunningham, Principal Investigator for the MDMW programme at the University’s Faculty of Health.
“MDMW is among the most cost-effective interventions available to support diabetes management. With the costs of treating diabetes growing this is vital but, more importantly, it also means a higher quality of life for people such as Lindsey who are living with this lifelong condition.”
Lindsey’s experiences with diabetes over the years also led her to return to education after the birth of her first child and she is now in the third year of her Biomedical Sciences degree at the University. She hopes to pursue a career in diabetes research when she graduates.
“Because I was so young when I was diagnosed, I have lived through 30 years of developments,” she said. “If you look back to what was available to patients then and look at what we have now the difference is incredible. I feel lucky to have been born when I was.
“If you look at MDMW it means people living busy lives can easily access information both about their own health and their condition. I have two children and am trying to balance family life with full-time education, so all this being available when you need it is invaluable.
“I want to also be able to make a difference to diabetes patients and that’s why I want to go into research, to improve patient outcomes and experiences.”
Rates of diabetes are still growing, with overall prevalence increasing by between 14,000-15,000 people each year in Scotland.
The success of MDMW led to the development of the MyWay Digital Health spinout, which looks to develop the service for use in healthcare systems in NHS England and other countries.