A person’s condition cannot improve without active engagement in their own health. Diabetes is a lifestyle disease that requires a long-term care process. Unfortunately, diabetes cannot be cured with a pill. Instead, it requires continuous effort on the part of the patient to adhere to their plan of care and make self-management decisions everyday. A diabetes diagnosis is a wake-up call that may be intimidating at first.

Effective diabetes care supports the patient in adopting healthy habits and in addressing the volume of information and concerns involved with managing the disease and preventing complications. Non-physician support is critical in helping patients adhere to their care plan.

Yet, how can a care team support a patient with a narrow, acute understanding of their health?

The chronic nature of diabetes demands comprehensive information in order to understand the patient’s health and make proper decisions. Finding strategies to provide patients with timely encounters, and providers with timely information, reduces the risk of worsening health, and eases the natural stress associated with uncertainties. Technology-based approaches to healthcare delivery are exciting and impactful, as they enable non-clinical engagement and greater depth of information. The physician can determine the necessary level of intervention, direct the patient to visit the appropriate healthcare provider in their care team, and reduce time, costs, and resources associated with clinical visits.