Diabetes is a growing health concern globally. In Singapore, the number of people living with diabetes is projected to reach 1 million by the year 2050.
Multiple daily insulin injections (MDII) remain a cornerstone in managing patients with Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes with beta-cell failure, or gestational diabetes with poor glycemic control. Research has consistently shown that multiple daily injections improve glycemic control and reduce the risk of long-term diabetes-related complications.
However, despite its clinical benefits, MDII poses significant day-to-day challenges for people living with diabetes. These include the burden of carbohydrate counting, insulin titration, and frequent blood glucose monitoring, which is often done manually.
Carbohydrate counting plays a vital role in helping individuals match their food intake to the amount of insulin they need to administer, thereby minimising the risk of post-meal hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) and hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar).
To bridge these challenges, the team at TTSH collaborated with health-tech company BUZUD to co-develop AI-CARE, an AI-driven insulin calculator that integrates carbohydrate estimation and continuous glucose monitoring. Our goal is to simplify diabetes self-management, improve glycaemic control and reduce the cognitive burden of MDII therapy.
This partnership was formalised with the signing of a Research Collaboration Agreement between TTSH and BUZUD.
With the BUZUD blood sugar device and enhanced image recognition technology through a mobile application, AI-CARE would be able to calculate and establish what patients require in terms of insulin dosage.
For some patients, managing diabetes means making numerous micro-decisions every day. It is critical that we empower our patients and their caregivers to navigate complexities and be confident in their care regimes.
An enhanced CARB-CGM solution helps remove the guess work on insulin administration, empowering them with the right tools to manage their health safely—both at home and at work. This reduces anxiety and avoids unnecessary hospital visits.
This project is led by Advanced Practice Nurse (Diabetes Care) Lian Xia and supported by the Head of the TTSH Endocrine Department, together with a multidisciplinary team comprising endocrinologists, diabetes nurse clinicians, dietitians and medical social workers.
Together with a dedicated and passionate team, we want to empower our patients to take charge and be confident in managing their condition, and soldier forward to better health.
