As many as 1 in 10 pregnant people in the United States will develop gestational diabetes. The condition can lead to a larger-than-average baby and complications during childbirth for both mother and baby. For patients, knowing whether adjustments are needed to their treatment regimen can be a waiting game between doctor’s visits. But for 1,000 patients at NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island, guidance comes unusually fast. That’s because they’re enrolled in a pilot program run by the Division of Maternal–Fetal Medicine at NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island in collaboration with NYU Langone’s Medical Center Information Technology team.

The program tracks blood sugar in near real-time using Bluetooth-enabled glucose monitors, and automatically uploads results to NYU Langone Health MyChart and the Remote Patient Monitoring platform.

Typically, a patient with gestational diabetes tests their glucose four times a day, manually logs their measurements, and then brings the results to their next doctor’s appointment. But those enrolled in the pilot—called the Diabetes in Pregnancy Remote Patient Monitoring Program—can automatically transmit their data to their electronic health record for review by the maternal–fetal medicine team.

“Before, we wouldn’t know about abnormal blood sugar values until the patient brought in their glucose logs,” says maternal–fetal medicine specialist Hye J. Heo, MD. “Now, we are able to make medication adjustments within hours, providing faster glycemic control that reduces the risk of diabetes-related complications.”

Preliminary results, set to be published this year, are encouraging. Remote monitoring resulted in fewer blood sugar spikes; reduced risk of hypertension disorders; and lower risk of neonatal hyperglycemia. Says Dr. Heo, “This method is so much easier for patients and leads to improvement in pregnancy outcomes.” She looks forward to expanding this program to obstetric practices in Manhattan and Brooklyn.