WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP AND TEST A PORTABLE COMPUTER-BASED DATA COLLECTION/ANALYSIS AND COMPLIANCE ENHANCEMENT SYSTEM FOR THE TREATMENT OF NON-INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES MELLITUS (NIDDM).

WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP AND TEST A PORTABLE COMPUTER-BASED DATA COLLECTION/ANALYSIS AND COMPLIANCE ENHANCEMENT SYSTEM FOR THE TREATMENT OF NON-INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES MELLITUS (NIDDM). THE DIACARE SYSTEM II WILL CONSIST OF THE DIACARE MONITOR (HARDWARE), WHICH COMBINES COMPUTER CAPABILITIES OF A COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE HAND-HELD COMPUTER WITH OUR OWN REFLECTANCE PHOTOMETER GLUCOSE ANALYSIS AND DATA COMMUNICATIONS CIRCUITRY. THE MONITOR, WHICH IS DRIVEN BY THE DIACARE PATIENT PROGRAM II (SOFTWARE), WILL COLLECT AND ANALYZE DIETARY, EXERCISE, MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION, AND BLOOD GLUCOSE DATA FROM PATIENTS AT HOME. THE STORED DATA WILL BE TRANSMITTED WEEKLY BY TELEPHONE (USING A MODEM) TO DIACARE'S CENTRAL COMPUTER AND A REPORT WILL BE GENERATED AND SENT TO THE PHYSICIAN AND PATIENT. THE DIACARE SYSTEM II WILL ALSO INCLUDE A MICROCOMPUTER-BASED PHYSICIAN INTERFACE SYSTEM WITH REMOTE COMMUNICATIONS CAPABILITY TO ALLOW ACCURATE MONITORING OF PATIENT PROGRESS AND REPROGRAMMING OF THE PATIENT'S PRESCRIBED TREATMENT REGIMEN FROM A DISTANCE. DURING PHASE I OF THIS PROJECT WE WILL FIELD-TEST THE DIACARE SYSTEM II WITH FOUR NIDDM PATIENTS. THIS BRIEF TRIAL WILL PROVIDE PATIENT AND PHYSICIAN FEEDBACK ON USER FRIENDLINESS OF THE SYSTEM AND WILL SERVE AS A PRELIMINARY TEST OF THE SYSTEM'S APPLICATION AND EFFICACY IN THE TREATMENT OF NIDDM. DURING PHASE II WE WILL TEST THE DIACARE SYSTEM II IN A COMPREHENSIVE CLINICAL TRIAL TO DETERMINE ITS UTILITY IN THE MEDICAL MANAGEMENT OF NIDDM.