Teladoc Adds At-Home A1C Testing to Enhance Diabetes Care Management

To improve access and expand diabetes care resources, Teladoc Health added an at-home A1C testing program to its Livongo chronic care platform.

Along with the rapid expansion of telehealth in the last several years, healthcare providers worked to implement new care resources for various conditions. These resources often included at-home care services.

Teladoc Health, a virtual care provider, added an at-home A1C testing solution to its Livongo solution with the help of LetsGetChecked, a company that provides patients access to diagnostic testing, virtual care, and medication delivery from their homes. 

The at-home A1C test services include Teladoc's Livongo members receiving a test kit allowing them to self-collect blood samples. The Livongo solution provides remote diabetes monitoring for members, which will be supplemented by the at-home test services, according to the press release. Further, once patients receive their test results, they receive individualized care plans to help them lower their A1C.

According to company data, 58 percent of members chose the at-home test option when given a chance. Further, the at-home A1C testing solution provided positive results, including an A1C level of 8 percent or less maintained by 87 percent of those using it.

“Meeting people where they are is paramount for enabling better clinical outcomes,” said Vidya Raman-Tangella, chief medical officer at Teladoc Health, in a press release. “Social and environmental factors account for 50-60 percent of health, and we are addressing persistent challenges by offering in-home testing. The data gathered by giving more people necessary tools will help us to create actionable insights that fuel a more individualized approach to healthcare.”

The launch of the at-home test service comes a few weeks after Teladoc Health added in-network referrals, medication delivery, and at-home phlebotomy services to its Primary360 service. However, the company has also experienced some upheaval in recent months. A class-action lawsuit was filed in June alleging Teladoc had misled investors about its business and prospects.

But, before this, Teladoc entered into partnerships with two prominent organizations. Teladoc Health and Northwell Health announced they are working together to deliver connected virtual care, expand care delivery, and improve clinical teamwork. In addition, Teladoc Health partnered with Amazon to launch voice-activated access to virtual care using Alexa-supported devices.

Further, recent studies have indicated that supplementary services in addition to telehealth and continuous glucose monitoring can lead to positive outcomes for diabetes patients.

A study published this month found that a comprehensive telehealth approach improved outcomes for type 2 diabetes patients. After dividing patients into two groups that received care through different telehealth intervention methods, researchers observed that approach that included medication management and depression support in addition to telemonitoring significantly benefitted patients. They also found that patients engaged in this approach experienced lower anxiety levels.