Prediabetes Intervention, Management and Evaluation Program (PRIME), won Gold Award from ITEX 2022
By Kah Woon Teoh
People with prediabetes are at high risk of developing type-2 diabetes (T2DM). Once developed, T2DM is often irreversible. However, prediabetes can be reversed if detected early through lifestyle modification, including adopting a healthy diet and engaging in physical activities. To-date, health services that focus on managing prediabetes are absent in many parts of the world including Malaysia. Available health service only treats people with diabetes, but not those with prediabetes. In fact, the Ministry of Health spends approximately RM2.04 billion to manage people with diabetes every year. Diabetes is a life-long disease and has to be treated with medications including injectables. Poorly managed diabetes can lead to complications such as limb amputation, visual impairment and heart disease. The high costs for medical bills, disability care, work productivity, and reduced quality of life ultimately will result in significant economic implications. As up to 70% of people with prediabetes will eventually develop diabetes, PRIME aims to prevent people with prediabetes from developing diabetes, and the physical, mental and economic consequences of this disease.
PhD candidate, Teoh Kah Woon (right) demonstrating the PRIME app to Professor Matthew Nicholson (left), the Interim Pro Vice-Chancellor and Interim Chief Executive Officer, Monash University Malaysia Monash.
PRIME program targets to educate people with prediabetes about their conditions, with the aim of imparting the necessary skills to manage their condition independently and proactively through lifestyle modifications. PRIME, therefore, offers a comprehensive prediabetes management program that offers integrated care using a mobile app (PRIME app) and community pharmacy partnerships. The PRIME program was developed by a multidisciplinary team comprising professionals from IT, digital health, pharmacy, and nutrition. The mobile app is designed to allow users with prediabetes to communicate with their community pharmacists, self-monitor their blood glucose levels, physical activity levels, sleep status, food intake, and access to evidence-based health information via education modules. All prediabetes self-monitoring parameters are recorded in the app which can be remotely monitored by the pharmacists. When necessary, pharmacists could provide timely feedback and motivation to the participants via the in-app chat feature or during face-to-face follow up visits at the pharmacy. This allows a shift of care from the typical in-person care in the public hospital or clinic settings to the patients’ homes and community pharmacies, providing greater access to prediabetes management. The increased interactions between pharmacists and users also encourage patients’ compliance and sustainability to dietary and exercise interventions.
Recently, PRIME program had the privilege to be showcased at the International Invention, Innovation and Technology Exhibition (ITEX) 2022, which was held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center on the 26th and 27th of May 2022. On top of that, PRIME was selected to be presented during a the Pitch4Fund session, where innovators pitched their inventions to angel investors. Known to only feature the leading innovations from Asia and beyond, the PRIME team was honoured to have received a Gold Award from this prestigious ITEX exhibition.
The PRIME program is funded by a grant from Monash University Network for Equity through Digital Health (NEED). Currently, the PRIME program is in its trial stage where the program has been launched in twelve community pharmacies within the Selangor and Kuala Lumpur region. At the end of the study, we will examine the effectiveness of PRIME in managing prediabetes. PRIME program is actively recruiting eligible individuals who have prediabetes and are overweight or obese to participate in the study. Interested participants are encouraged to contact the PRIME team via prime.info@monash.edu.
 Teoh Kah Woon showing contents of the education modules which were incorporated into the PRIME mobile app. |  Associate Professor Dr. Chong Chun Wie from the School of Pharmacy pitched the PRIME program to angel investors during the Pitch4Fund session. |  Professor Shaun Lee (right) addressing queries raised by a potential angel investor who was interested in the PRIME program. |