4 Predictions for Diabetes Management and Technology in 2021 to Watch

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to put an unprecedented amount of strain on the entire healthcare sector, and the industry has responded by accelerating the ways innovation is developed and adopted. Health leaders have faced a generational challenge and the result has been the rapid deployment of technology to address dire patient needs. Health systems, physicians, and frontline staff pulled together in remarkable fashion to implement these emerging technologies that enhance the ways patients access and receive care. 

The global health crisis also illuminated the severity of worse outcomes for patients with underlying conditions and comorbidities, and providers now have a deeper understanding of how they impact overall health. Diabetes and poor glycemic management have emerged as crucial underlying conditions that have negatively affected patient outcomes during the pandemic. While it has long been associated with worse outcomes, higher readmission rates, and increased cost of care, mounting research has shown that uncontrolled glycemia has led to higher mortality rates for hospitalized patients regardless of a pre-existing diabetes diagnosis. It is critically important that we are able to take lessons learned from this pandemic and apply them in the year ahead.