SAN FRANCISCO, May 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Results of a longitudinal observational study to be published in JMIR Diabetes demonstrates how One Medical (Nasdaq: ONEM) incorporates an embedded diabetes management program within its membered-centered and technology-powered primary care model to deliver better health outcomes for patients, including meaningful reductions in HbA1c (blood glucose) levels.
Chronic disease burdens continue to rise, with diabetes and other chronic illnesses among the leading causes of death and disability in America. The CDC estimates that as of 2020, approximately 34 million Americans, just over 10% of the population, had diabetes. Through it’s human-centered and technology-powered model, One Medical seeks to address this public health concern by leveraging its multi-modal care strategy.
Study Findings
The peer-reviewed study is a retrospective observational analysis of a subset of One Medical patients with previously uncontrolled diabetes, and found that a cohort of 621 patients participating in One Medical’s diabetes management program saw significant improvements in glucose control and cholesterol levels. Using One Medical’s longitudinal primary care model, these patients saw their average HbA1c levels decrease by 19%, from 10.7% to 8.7%. This two point reduction is a significant improvement when compared to similar studies highlighting virtual-only solutions that did not include primary care to manage chronic care, and reported relatively modest improvements of up to 1 point. For context, previous studies have found that a one point reduction in HbA1c is linked to a reduction in risk of death by 21%, heart attacks by 14%, and microvascular complications by 37%.
One Medical incorporates chronic care management as an essential part of its member-based and technology-powered primary care services, with key features including the following:
- Enhanced access to care through same and next-day in-office appointments with primary care providers, as well as 24/7 on-demand video chat and messaging, allowing issues and questions to be addressed as they arise
- Self-management tools through the One Medical app, which provides care reminders and enables tracking of diabetes labs and blood pressure
- A proprietary, built-for-purpose technology platform that allows One Medical providers to efficiently develop, document, and track a disease management plan
- Population health analytics and outreach functions within its technology that remind both providers and patients to book follow-up visits, obtain labs, and seek disease-specific screenings
“Through One Medical’s modernized care model, which integrates 24/7 telehealth services with in-person care, we’re removing access barriers and making it easier for providers and patients to engage in managing chronic illnesses like diabetes,” said Lenny Lesser, MD, MSHS, Medical Director of Population Health at One Medical. “While some may think they need specialty services to properly manage their chronic health issues, chronic care management is actually a core component of One Medical’s modernized primary care model. Primary care providers are trained to manage chronic diseases through a whole person approach, by addressing behavioral health needs and lifestyle factors in addition to managing medications. If they are supported through a membership-oriented and technology-powered model, they can also drive significant improvements in outcomes.”
About One Medical:
One Medical is a membership-based and technology-powered primary care platform with seamless digital health and inviting in-office care, convenient to where people work, shop, live, and click. Our vision is to delight millions of members with better health and better care while reducing costs. Our mission is to transform health care for all through our human-centered, technology-powered model.
Headquartered in San Francisco, 1Life Healthcare, Inc. is the administrative and managerial services company for the affiliated One Medical physician-owned professional corporations that deliver medical services in-office and virtually. 1Life and the One Medical entities do business under the “One Medical” brand.
Media Contact:
Breanna Shirk
Senior PR Manager, One Medical
press@onemedical.com