Diabetes care has changed dramatically in recent years, thanks to technological developments, but some of the metrics used in the disease’s management remain outdated. That’s why Dexcom created The Global Movement for Time in Range, an educational campaign to raise awareness and adoption of time in range as the standard of care in diabetes management.

Time in range is the percentage of time spent with glucose levels in a target range, which the Advanced Technologies & Treatments for Diabetes (ATTD) Congress defines as 70-180 mg/dL. The ATTD says that time in range metrics provide more actionable insights than A1C levels, which indicate average glucose levels over a two to three month period.

Continuous glucose monitoring devices enable time in range metrics because they provide real-time measurements throughout the day that can be used to quantify time spent above, below and within the target range, according to the ATTD.

Along with Dexcom, The Global Movement for Time in Range is supported by Nick Jonas, a singer, actor and Diabetes activist, Beyond Type 1, Children with Diabetes, College Diabetes Network, JDRF International and Taking Control of Your Diabetes.

“This movement is about coming together and giving people with diabetes the tools and resources to help them feel healthier and live the life they want,” Jonas said in a statement.

“Having lived with Type 1 diabetes for more than half of my lifetime, I know how much better I feel when my glucose levels stay within a set range, and it’s time for the diabetes community at large to recognize time in range as one of the most important indicators of optimal diabetes management. I’m proud to partner with other like-minded organizations to put time in range in the spotlight of diabetes care.”

WHY THIS MATTERS

More than 34 million Americans have diabetes, representing about 10% of the population, according to the American Diabetes Association.

Despite recognition from leaders in diabetes care, nearly half (47%) of people with insulin-treated diabetes are unaware of what time in range is and more than half (53%) have never talked about it with their healthcare provider, according to a survey by Dexcom.

The survey also shows that most people with diabetes (83%) say they feel better when their glucose levels are within the target range.

The new campaign hopes to educate both patients and providers with online resources available on its website and bring awareness with the hashtag “#wheninrange” on social media.

“Healthcare professionals must add time in range as part of their standards of care when it comes to evaluating and treating patients with diabetes. As physicians we can’t get stuck in old ways of thinking,” Dr. Steven Edelman, a San Diego-based endocrinologist and founder of the nonprofit Taking Control of Your Diabetes, said in a statement.

“I’m proud to support this movement to do my part in helping people with diabetes learn more about time in range, while also amplifying resources for healthcare professionals like myself to more easily adopt time in range in their own practices.”

THE LARGER TREND

Dexcom’s working partnership with Nick Jonas started with its SuperBowl commercial from earlier this year, which the company’s chairman, president and CEO Kevin Sayer called a “highlight for the company,” in its first-quarter financial report.

Others in the diabetes management space include Livongo, which was bought up last year by Teladoc; Omada, which recently unveiled a new service that automatically tweaks users’ medications; Glooko, which recently raised $30 million, and Virta Health, which collected $133 million earlier this year.