Putting It to the Test

As with most segments of HME today, there is much uncertainty surrounding the future of the diabetes market with competitive bidding around the corner and a push for less ex-pensive products.

Although providers will have to wait to see how this affects the market, they can be certain of one thing: Diabetes is growing at an alarming rate, and the need for diabetic supplies will only increase in the coming years.

The American Diabetes Association estimates that in the United States, 24 million people, or 8 percent of the population, have diabetes.

Every day, approximately 4,110 people are diagnosed with diabetes, the association says, warning that if present trends continue, one in three Americans born in 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime. The vast majority of these cases are type 2 diabetes, which is attributed to lifestyle. “Unfortunately, the diabetes market is growing because of the population's obesity, lack of exercise, eating habits and poor compliance,” says Frank Suess, president of West Palm Beach, Fla.-based Pharma Supply. “It's positive for the business, but not the population.”

And even though the medical community knows that proper testing and control of blood sugar can help patients prevent serious complications such as kidney disease or amputations, getting patients to comply with testing and treatment continues to be a challenge, says Cathy Pereira, manager of national accounts and government relations for Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.-based Home Diagnostics.

“Since diabetes develops over time, people don't feel the impact of the disease until complications such as blindness begin to occur, and oftentimes these complications cannot be reversed,” she says.

The good news is that home medical equipment providers can play an important role in helping to prevent these complications by educating patients on the disease and providing supplies that will help in- crease compliance.

“There's a big emphasis on preventative medicine,” says Edward Letko, managing director of New York-based US Diagnostics. “That's why I see this market growing, and I have a very hopeful future for this market.”

Easy Does It

For patients with diabetes, many advancements are making the disease more manageable and increasing patient compliance. For instance, blood glucose meters have become more reliable, faster, smaller, require less blood and are easier to use, says Pereira.

In fact, one of the biggest needs for diabetic patients are products that are easy to use and read, providers and manufacturers say.