Walmart Health Launches Virtual Diabetes Care Program

As type 1 and type 2 diabetes become more prevalent, Walmart Health's national telehealth provider MeMD launched the Walmart Health Virtual Care Diabetes Program, which intends to enhance diabetes care through virtual care capabilities.

Launched in 2019, Walmart Health provides various healthcare services, including primary and urgent care, laboratory, X-ray and diagnostic, and behavioral health services.  

Walmart Health acquired MeMD in May 2021. It provides telehealth services for various conditions, ranging from common injuries to behavioral health issues.

The new Walmart Health Virtual Care Diabetes Program will merge personalized diabetes education with counseling that focuses on behavioral health.

Practitioners in the program will review patient history and background in an initial consultation. They can then schedule a follow-up visit with licensed behavioral health therapists to address any mental healthcare gaps.

The program's goal is to reduce the complications associated with diabetes and inform providers on how to manage conditions better.

“Our aim is to empower patients with the most up-to-date diabetes education and clinical care so they can take control of their health. Our program focuses on a patient’s physical and mental health, which also helps employers maintain healthier workforces and drive down overall healthcare costs,” said John Wigneswaran, MD, Walmart’s chief medical officer, in the press release.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there are currently 37.3 million cases of diabetes in the country, 11.3 percent of the US population.

The American Diabetes Association is also collaborating with Walmart Health on the program.

“At the American Diabetes Association, we believe successful diabetes management starts with knowledge,” said Robert Gabbay, MD, PhD, chief scientific and medical officer for the ADA, in the press release. “Education is key, and we are proud to partner with Walmart Health to develop a virtual diabetes management program for businesses.”

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, implementing accessible, remote diabetes care is becoming more common with the overall rise in telehealth. 

In September 2021, the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) worked with a federally qualified health center (FQHC) to extend remote patient monitoring (RPM) services to patients with diabetes. The goal of the collaboration was to care for 1,000 patients, with UMMC providing a tablet service to those with diabetes in the FQHC.

Research also backs up the growing use of virtual diabetes care. A study from October 2021 found that remote patient monitoring aided those with type 2 diabetes, helping them lower their A1C levels. At St. Joseph’s/Candler health system in Savannah, Georgia, pharmacists launched an RPM platform that introduced a hybrid approach to diabetes care. Researchers viewed statistics of 30 patients with type 2 diabetes both before and after the implementation of RPM, noting a steady decrease in A1C levels.