< Back to Press

ASCENSIA DIABETES CARE LAUNCHES SMARTER VERSION OF CONTOUR^®DIABETES APP WITH NEW FEATURES TO SUPPORT SELF-MANAGEMENT

Basel, Switzerland

Ascensia Diabetes Care today announced that it has now launched its upgraded version of the CONTOUR^®DIABETES app in 24 countries worldwide. This latest version includes the new My Patterns feature, which uses innovative algorithms to more intelligently analyze blood glucose results received from the CONTOUR^®NEXT ONE meter, and delivers personalized meaningful feedback to patients. This feedback is designed to help patients improve diabetes self-management and maintain positive lifestyle changes. 

The upgraded CONTOUR^®DIABETES app has recently been launched in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, India, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, and USA, adding to the launches in Germany, UK and Ireland that took place at the end of 2017. This new release is now available in the Apple App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android).

The CONTOUR^®DIABETES app was first launched in 2016 and is designed to seamlessly connect to the CONTOUR^®NEXT ONE meter^†. The My Patterns feature on the upgraded CONTOUR^®DIABETES app analyzes data received from the meter to identify and notify the user of sub-optimal patterns in their blood glucose readings. Once it has notified the user that a pattern has been identified, the CONTOUR^®DIABETES app will prompt users about the possible causes of the pattern and provide guidance to help address it. It allows patients to set reminders or use testing plans to help improve their blood glucose patterns, and will track their progress to see if the pattern improves over time*. The latest version of the app includes the ability to recognize 14 different patterns and use 11 different structured testing plans. The app will continue to evolve in the future to include additional patterns and testing plans, as well as adding new features and functionality.

My Patterns has been developed using evidence-based behavioral science concepts from the Information, Motivation and Behavioral Skills (IMB) model of health behavior change, pioneered by health psychologists Dr. William Fisher and Dr. Jeffrey Fisher. This well-researched model shows that people with diabetes need actionable information, motivation to act on that information and a set of specific behavioral skills, in order to make changes to improve the self-management of their diabetes. Studies to assess this model have demonstrated that the presence of all three elements in people with diabetes is associated with more frequent blood glucose testing and improved self-management actions¹. The My Patterns feature of the CONTOUR^®DIABETES app is designed to help the user in these three areas and support more effective self-management, enabled by technology.

Dr. William Fisher, Professor of Psychology and health psychologist at Western University, London, Canada, commented: “Self-management is essential in diabetes, and three decades of research concerning the Information—Motivation—Behavioral Skills model of health behavior show that well informed and well–motivated individuals who have the skills needed to initiate and maintain health behaviors can do so effectively and over the long-term. The IMB model—stressing the provision of actionable diabetes self-management information, motivation to act on it, and skills development for acting effectively—helped guide development of this latest version of the CONTOUR^®DIABETES app to create an accessible, intuitive tool that employs an evidence-based health behavior model delivered through the latest technology, to enable more effective and personalized diabetes self-management.”

Michael Kloss, Chief Executive Officer, Ascensia Diabetes Care, explained: “The My Patterns feature on the new CONTOUR^®DIABETES app represents a real advance in the use of data for diabetes management. It can uncover patterns in blood glucose readings that patients may not have otherwise recognized and provides tailored reminders that can support improved self-management. This can help people with diabetes stay on track between visits to their doctor and can provide meaningful information for more informed consultations.”

Michael added: “We are very excited to be able to bring this new innovation to patients. At Ascensia we are listening to feedback from people with diabetes about their needs, and are continuing to invest in further development of the CONTOUR^®DIABETES app, so that we can provide solutions that make diabetes self-management better, easier and smarter.”

The CONTOUR^®NEXT ONE BGMS is also the most accurate system that has been developed by Ascensia Diabetes Care to date. Published study data has shown the CONTOUR^®NEXT ONE BGMS to be remarkably accurate, meeting EN ISO 15197:2015 accuracy criteria² in both the laboratory and clinical setting. A study has shown that 95% of results were within ±8.4 mg/dL or ±8.4% of the laboratory reference values for glucose concentrations < 100 mg/dL or ≥ 100 mg/dL, respectively, when tested via subject obtained fingerstick results³.

† Please check our device compatibility list at http://compatibility.contourone.com/ to confirm your device will pair with the CONTOUR^®DIABETES app.

* Information provided by the CONTOUR^®DIABETES app is not considered medical advice and is for informational purposes only. Patients should always speak with their HCP prior to making changes to diet, treatment or exercise.

ENDS

Notes for Editors

About Ascensia Diabetes Care

Ascensia Diabetes Care is a global specialist diabetes care company, dedicated to helping people living with diabetes. Our mission is to empower people living with diabetes through innovative solutions that simplify and improve their lives. We use our innovation and specialist expertise in diabetes to develop high quality solutions and tools that make a positive, daily difference for people with diabetes.

Home to the world renowned CONTOUR^® portfolio of blood glucose monitoring systems, our products combine advanced technology with user-friendly functionality that help people with diabetes to manage their condition. We are committed to continued research, innovation and development of new products and solutions. As a trusted partner in the diabetes community, we collaborate closely with healthcare professionals and other partners to ensure our products meet the highest standards of accuracy, precision and reliability, and that we conduct our business compliantly and with integrity.

Ascensia Diabetes Care was established in 2016 through the sale of Bayer Diabetes Care to Panasonic Healthcare Holdings Co., Ltd. Ascensia Diabetes Care products are sold in more than 125 countries. Ascensia Diabetes Care has around 1,700 employees and operations in 31 countries.

For further information, please visit the Ascensia Diabetes Care website at: http://www.ascensia.com.

Ascensia and Contour are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Ascensia Diabetes Care. The Bluetooth word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., and any use of such marks herein is under license. Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Google Play is a trademark of Google Inc.

About the CONTOUR^®NEXT ONE Blood Glucose Monitoring System:

The CONTOUR^®NEXT ONE system features an easy-to-use wireless-enabled smart meter that seamlessly connects to a smart mobile device via Bluetooth® connectivity. The meter provides immediate feedback through smartLIGHT technology and the CONTOUR^®DIABETES app collects, stores and analyses patient blood glucose results received from the meter. The app combines these results with other data recorded by the user, to provide detailed information about their condition that can help them understand how their everyday lives may impact their blood glucose readings. Through the app, users can also share the reports of their blood glucose results with their healthcare professionals, helping to create more informed and insightful discussions during their visits.

For more information, please contact:
Joseph Delahunty
VP, Global Head of Communications, Ascensia Diabetes Care
joseph.delahunty@ascensia.com
+41-79-422-9286

¹ Fisher WA, Kohut T, Schachner H, Stenger P. The Diabetes Educator (2011) 37;1:85-94

² International Organization for Standardization (2015). In vitro diagnostic test systems—requirements for blood-glucose monitoring systems for self-testing in managing diabetes mellitus (EN ISO 15197:2015)

³ Christiansen et al. Poster presented at the 15th Annual Meeting of the Diabetes Technology Society, October 22-24, 2015, Bethesda, Maryland