In the emerging global information society where cyberspace protocols seem to be the norm, all forms of knowledge come in handy and fast - readily available at one's fingertips. Against this backdrop, and amid a fast-paced social-economic environment albeit paradoxically sedentary lifestyle, many a one's health is affected due to lack of exercise, which in some cases, leads to obesity and diabetes. In general, a person who goes to a physician for a checkup will not be able to know completely the results in one go. However, a healthcare company in the US was able to fill the vacuum. VitalSims, a Minneapolis, Minnesota healthcare firm that provides cost-saving innovative solutions, invented a program that shortens the illness detection and speeds up the prescription of right medication to barely an hour from the usual six-month period of regular consultation. The company's top executives were in Saudi Arabia last week for seven-day meetings with various medical institutions in Riyadh and Jeddah to demonstrate “SiMCare Health” simulated physician learning program for diabetes control. Don Gerhardt and Chris Duncan, Chairman and CEO, respectively of VitalSims, told the Saudi Gazette that their exploratory talks with doctors and pharmacists were productive, adding that they will return in February for more discussions. Noting that diabetes is a serious epidemic around the world, they said that physicians are required to quickly become effective in proper chronic disease management. In this regard, SiMCare Diabetes learning program for physicians and other healthcare professionals proves very useful and highly effective. The online learning program that can be installed across multiple platforms - from Web, iPad and mobile phones - simulates real patient-physician encounters and instructs physicians to more effectively diagnose and treat type 1 and 2 diabetes. Physicians learn through a curriculum of 18 simulated patient cases, including diagnosis and insulin start, insulin resistance, weight loss, depression, non-adherence and severe obesity. Simulated cases instruct physicians to order labs, diagnostic tests and initiate drug, insulin and other advanced interventional therapies and follow patient cases to ensure proper control of the disease over multiple encounters. So if a patient visits a doctor, the latter would be guided accordingly by the program on steps to be taken and even the medicine to be prescribed after getting the necessary lab test results, aside from other information necessary for the well-being of the patient. And all can be done in less than one hour, Duncan said. He stressed though that the physician must have the mastery of the program to apply it methodically. VitalSims hoped to forge a joint venture agreement with Saudi partners in order to fully implement all aspects of SiMCare Diabetes and ClinicalCare simulations, including content delivery, marketing support, technology development and other needs of the Saudi market. Gerhardt added that the SiMCare Diabetes program could be customized to suit the requirements of Saudi and other Arab medical practitioners and in compliance with the Saudi and Arab medical and pharmaceutical standards. The American Diabetes Association said “SiMCare Diabetes learning program has been shown to improve patient safety by significantly reducing the use of drugs in high-risk clinical situations.” And it's all at the doctor's fingertips. __
