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The market need for objective neuropathy screening devices continues to grow rapidly, with Type 2 diabetes being diagnosed at an alarming rate. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Type 2 currently diabetes affects in excess of 25 million people in the USA. In 2010 (latest statistics available), 1.9 million adults over the age of 20 were newly diagnosed. The CDC estimates that 35% of adults have prediabetes, totaling an additional 79 million Americans. The CDC further estimates annual USA medical treatment costs of $9B to $13B for diabetic foot ulcers and $3B for diabetic related amputations. Worldwide an estimated 382M people are living with diabetes. An early diagnosis of the disease is critical in establishing aggressive patient treatment regimens prior to the onset of diabetes with complications and minimizing risk of life threatening patient outcomes.
The American Diabetes Association requires that all patients with diabetes must at a minimum receive an annual screening for neuropathy using temperature, vibration, pin prick or pressure sensation. Furthermore, the Affordable Care Act and health care insurance organizations now require electronic record keeping and, for patients with diabetes proof that diabetic foot exam was administered during each patient visit. The DND is uniquely positioned to meet each requirement by providing graded results that can be logged into the patient electronic records.
One of the five key areas of focus of The Affordable Care Act is diabetes. The Affordable Care Act places emphasis on a prevention model rather the acute care health reimbursement model that has been in place in the USA for decades. The main focus is to drastically reduce the need for admittance or re-admittance to hospitals for the treatment of preventable diseases. Prevention equates to better screening and early detection of potential life threatening diseases. The DND provides earliest possible screening detection and follows longitudinal changes in patients’ health while encouraging improved patient participation.
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