Digital health technologies/interventions in smart ward development for elderly patients with diabetes: A perspective from China and beyond

Table 1 Challenges in the management of elderly patients with diabetes and potential resolutions through the development of smart wards

Challenges in managing elderly diabetes patients	Resolutions through development of smart wards
High susceptibility to hypoglycemia. Elderly diabetes patients are highly susceptible to hypoglycemia during antihyperglycemic treatment; High susceptibility to hypoglycemia increases complexities in glycemic control	Integration of wearable devices with smart sensors, mainly CGM and SAPs, into the development of smart wards for diabetes in the elderly
Multiple chronic diseases and comorbidities. The chronic diseases and comorbidities commonly found in diabetes patients: (1) Cardiovascular disease; (2) Hypertension; (3) Kidney disease; (4) Retinopathy; and (5) Neuropathy	Integration of 5G networks, big data cloud storage, and AI into the development of smart wards for elderly diabetes patients, allowing simultaneous transmission of data to the hospital information system and enabling real-time data sharing for prompt evaluation, monitoring, potential diagnosis, and timely treatment initiation. In patients with multiple chronic diseases requiring consultation and decision-making, a multidisciplinary team of medical experts can promptly convene within minutes
Cognitive impairments: Various degrees of cognitive impairments observed in elderly diabetes patients: (1) Subtle executive dysfunction; (2) Memory loss; and (3) Overt dementia	Integration of 5G networks for real-time monitoring, prompt evaluation, and timely initiation of treatment for patients in need
Limited access to health education resources: (1) Digital health apps; (2) Health chatbots; and (3) Virtual assistants	Incorporation of elderly-friendly diabetes apps, health chatbots, and visual assistants designed specifically for the older patient population

AI: Artificial intelligence; CGM: Continuous glucose monitoring; SAP: Sensor-augmented pump: 5G: 5^th generation.