Program will allow rural diabetic patients to manage disease by internet

A new program will allow 100 diabetic patients in rural central and south Georgia to monitor their diabetes from home and interact with their doctors using a tablet that will be provided.

The program, ConnectWell, was launched Monday at the Family Health Center, Navicent Health. It will provide 100 diabetic patients from rural Georgia's 2nd and 8th Congressional districts with internet-ready tablets and an unlimited data plan, according to a release.

By using the tablet, patients will be able to monitor their diabetes from home and interact with their primary care physicians through the Robin Health platform, a new-to-market patient engagement platform that blends telemedicine and remote monitoring practices.

ConnectWell is managed by EveryoneOn, a nonprofit that aims to eliminate the digital divide by connecting people to the internet.

Primary care providers at Family Health Center, Navicent Health, are identifying and inviting qualified patients to join the program. But there is still an opportunity to join the program, and patients who are interested should contact the Family Health Center to determine if they qualify.

The program is being funded with $227,000 from CoBank, a Colorado-based cooperative bank serving rural America.

“More than 70 percent of communities in the U.S. with a shortage of primary care doctors are in rural areas,” Tom Halverson, president and CEO of CoBank, said in the statement. “Coupled with a staggering lack of access to high-speed Internet, the health of rural America is disadvantaged in comparison to their urban counterparts. This project is an important step forward as a larger proof of concept and we are proud to back it.”

This story was originally published January 22, 2018 at 6:01 PM.