The world’s first smartphone test for type 2 diabetes could see diagnosis time cut from weeks or months to less than 10 minutes, experts have said.
NHS trusts in Cumbria and the North East of England are the first to give patients access to the Diabetes Health Check app, with a nationwide rollout planned for later this year.
The creators of the app at diagnostics company PocDoc added that the test could save the NHS billions.
Approximately 5.2 million people in the UK have type 2 diabetes, and a further 1.3 million are thought to be undiagnosed.
The new test, which combines the “gold standard” finger-prick test with a smartphone app, is set to revolutionise preventative treatment for the disease, which costs the NHS £8.8 billion a year.
“Enabling screening for type 2 diabetes risk, including blood biomarkers via a smartphone app, is something that has never been done before,” said Steve Roest, CEO at PocDoc.
“This approach doesn’t just improve patient access; it helps ease pressure on frontline services and supports a more sustainable, digitally enabled NHS.”
The new service uses the HbA1c biomarker, which measures average blood glucose levels over the past two to three months.
For the test, patients provide a finger-prick blood sample which is placed on PocDoc’s patented tester, known as a microfluidic assay. Then the patient scans the test using the PocDoc app and receives their result almost immediately, in contrast to a process which can currently take weeks or months.
Mr Roest said the app enables earlier detection and prevention, and moves testing and diagnosis into community and home settings, which aligns with the aims of health secretary Wes Streeting’s 10-year plan for the NHS.
A pilot of the Diabetes Health Check is underway and will be rolled out across the UK later this year, Mr Roest added.
Professor Julia Newton, at Health Innovation Northeast and North Cumbria, said: “Type 2 diabetes impacts thousands of individuals across the UK. But this is a disease which can be easily prevented and reversed through early detection, dietary and lifestyle changes.
“Digital testing services like PocDoc’s will make it easier for thousands of people to identify their risk of this disease, at the touch of a button. We’re delighted to be the first to pilot this revolutionary product in the UK, which has the potential to save thousands of lives.”
