AT&T brings mHealth to its workforce

AT&T Inc. (T) has launched a pilot to help employees manage diabetes. In partnership with WellDoc Inc., AT&T mHealth Solutions is going to pilot DiabetesManager for up to six months among a select group of employees at AT&T and Health Care Services Corp., the fourth largest medical insurer in the United States.
DiabetesManager is one of the first m-health solutions to receive clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for adults with Type 2 diabetes, according to AT&T. During the trial, employees will use DiabetesManager to capture and analyze diabetes-related information such as blood sugar levels and carbohydrate intake. Users will receive real-time messages on courses of action to take if levels are too high or low.
Patient information can also be made available to nurses, case workers and doctors. AT&T and HCSC intend to evaluate results of the trial and determine how well DiabetesManager can change and improve patient behavior.
“Diabetes is one of the most common disease conditions, and the AT&T population is no exception,” said Marty Webb, VP of benefits and human resources at AT&T Services Inc. “We’re excited to pilot this new mHealth solution to help our employees effectively manage their health and their diabetes.”
AT&T generated approximately $4.9 billion in revenue from healthcare industry businesses such as hospitals, insurers, pharmaceutical companies, suppliers and physicians in 2010.”
There are nearly 26 million adults and children in the United States living with diabetes, AT&T said, citing figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.