April 6, 2011

Diabetes Data Standards

I think it is well past the time for the Tower of Babel to fall.

Diabetes is managed through the use of data. That data belongs to the user, the patient. It is theirs. Managing data should not a tool to strengthen a vendors proprietary grip on patients. Sadly patient data is almost universally maintained in proprietary formats guarded for the commercial advantage of durable device manufacturers market share.

I believe this is wrong. I believe it is a detriment to better health individually and for patients as a population. I believe that proprietary data puts a burden of maintaining data management on durable device manufacturers that increases the cost of devices. I believe when heath insurance mandates specific formulary brands and those brands do not share data well the insurance company is reducing the opportunity for better diabetes management to reduce cost.

I think it is time for patients to start asking their medical device manufacturers to open data standards and work towards a common language for diabetes devices. I think in the long run manufacturers’ costs for data management in the long run be reduced by benefiting from shared standards. I would like to see their energy spend on innovative devices not maintaining proprietary data standards. I would like to see patients and their advocate organizations have a voice in data standardization.

If you agree I would love to hear from you. I would love you to share your thoughts. Let start by seeing who all is interested. Bernard has an old thread on the topic at TuDiabetes. If you are interested in some grass roots advocacy on data standards please introduce your self there, like this:

I am Bennet and I am interested in promoting standards.

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