Study Demonstrates Livongo Members More Empowered and Less Distressed in Diabetes Self-Management

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., June 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Livongo, the leading Applied Health Signals company empowering people with chronic conditions to live better and healthier lives, today announced the findings of a study conducted in collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company. The study demonstrated 94 percent of Livongo for Diabetes program Members who completed a program survey achieved improved Diabetes Empowerment Scale – Short Form (DES-SF) or Diabetes Distress Scale 2 (DDS2) in year one of the Livongo for Diabetes Program. The research findings were presented on June 8, 2019 at the American Diabetes Association's 79^th Scientific Sessions held in San Francisco, California.

The 957 study participants had an average age of 55 years and 50 percent were women. At study entry, all participants lived with diabetes and 51 percent lived with hypertension. After 12 months of using the Livongo for Diabetes program, 61 percent of study participants had an improvement in both DDS2 and DES-SF and 94 percent had improved scores in at least one instrument.

The study included participants enrolled in the Livongo for Diabetes program who completed the DES-SF and DDS2. Participants with a comorbidity, participants with type 2 diabetes who use insulin once per day, or participants living with diabetes for more than two years were more likely to have improvement in DES-SF than other participants.

The DES-SF is a validated measure of the psychosocial self-efficacy of people with diabetes and uses questions assessing the need for change, developing a plan, overcoming barriers, asking for support, supporting oneself, coping with emotion, motivating oneself, and making diabetes care choices. The DDS2, another validated tool, takes into account how people with diabetes are feeling overwhelmed by the demands of living with diabetes and how people feel about falling behind in their diabetes routine.

"These study findings are exciting as they indicate the Livongo for Diabetes program is fulfilling our mission of empowering our Members to better manage their conditions on their own terms," said Dr. Bimal Shah, M.D., M.B.A., Chief Medical Officer of Livongo, Assistant Professor at Duke University School of Medicine, and senior author of the study. "Our Members who chose to complete the DES-SF or DDS2 are more confident after using Livongo and people with diabetes who were on insulin or had comorbid conditions saw improvements in their empowerment scores. This suggests that people with complex treatment regimens using Livongo have a great opportunity to learn more about their diabetes management."

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than 30 million Americans live with diabetes and the condition costs the US Healthcare system and employers $237 billion every year.¹ In addition, nearly 70 percent of people living with diabetes also have hypertension. According to the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE), diabetes distress can lead to tension, fatigue, a sense of being overwhelmed, and an experience called "burnout." Burnout can cause people with diabetes to quit or to not pay close attention to diabetes management. If diabetes goes unmanaged, it can lead to a high HbA1c, not feeling well, and potentially developing complications.

The Livongo for Diabetes program is a whole person platform focused on empowering members with education and tools to self-manage their diabetes. The program offers members a cellular-enabled blood glucose monitor with two-way messaging, personalized insights, unlimited supplies, and access to Certified Diabetes Educators for instant support and goal setting.

In May, Livongo announced a separate study in collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company that was published in the Journal of Medical Economics. The study showed that by using its remote digital health platform, the Livongo for Diabetes program delivered a $88 per member monthly reduction in medical spending for Livongo Members in the first year of use, when compared to the matched non-Livongo population. The study also showed that when taking the average price of the Livongo for Diabetes program into account, employers experienced a positive return on investment in one year.

About Livongo

Livongo offers a whole person platform that empowers people with chronic conditions to live better and healthier lives, beginning with diabetes and now including hypertension, weight management, diabetes prevention, and behavioral health. Livongo pioneered the new category of Applied Health Signals to silence noisy healthcare. Our team of data scientists aggregate and interpret substantial amounts of health data and information to create actionable, personalized and timely health signals. The Livongo approach has demonstrated that it can deliver better clinical and financial outcomes while creating a different and better experience for people with chronic conditions. For more information, visit: www.livongo.com or engage with Livongo on LinkedIn or Twitter.

¹ American Diabetes Association. Economic Costs of Diabetes in the U.S. in 2017. Diabetes Care 2018;41(5):917-928. PubMed abstractExternal

SOURCE Livongo

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