The Diabetes Tech-up™ Podcast

People living with diabetes are the sole proprietors of their glucose self-management. Like small business owners, they invest a lot of their time and energy, and sometimes they need help. To implement diabetes tech, they need guidance from one or more experienced health care professionals. In this episode, our cohosts talk about how various types of diabetes tech may help to keep patients motivat...

Matching a patient with the right tech for them is a collaboration between patient and provider. Some patients, such as the visually impaired, have fairly evident tech needs that you may know how to address. But you may not realize that tech has also been developed to address the needs of diabetes patients who exercise vigorously, have trouble carb counting, or live with multiple health conditions...

When you're considering diabetes tech, it may help to think about the practicalities from the patient's perspective. What does it feel like to wear an insulin pump while you're dancing? How much does a CGM sensor copay impact a patient's budget? What goes through their mind when you suggest diabetes tech as an option? In this episode, our cohosts discuss helping patients manage their concerns and...

Some clinicians see the upside of diabetes tech but don't know where to turn for help with insurance, training, and support. This may lead to hesitation in both clinicians and diabetes patients, leaving them resigned to older methods of self-management. In this episode, the hosts discuss what clinicians need to know to overcome prescribing inertia and move forward with diabetes tech. Topics includ...

In a perfect world, people living with diabetes would be able to access and successfully use the diabetes technology that fits their needs. In reality, financial challenges, lack of healthcare services, and provider assumptions may keep some patients from getting diabetes tech. And for patients who are able to get access to diabetes tech, another set of barriers may prevent them from long term use...

Diabetes technology is evolving at a rapid pace, and tools that seemed revolutionary a few years ago are now in widespread use. But some patients and clinicians are still reluctant to dip their toes in the diabetes tech pool. How can we help our patients (and ourselves) get comfortable with current tech tools and prepare to adapt to new tech that's around the corner? In this episode, our cohosts d...

Automated insulin delivery (AID) systems don't just administer insulin—they can also provide patients with robust glucose and insulin data. What can patients expect from automated insulin delivery? And how can using an AID help them better understand their diabetes? In this episode, our cohosts dig into automated insulin delivery. They also explore how we can make diabetes data accessible and usef...

Do we get all the data we need from our patients with diabetes? Is it accurate? Is it complete? When we're trying to make sound, data-driven treatment decisions, we're relying on the numbers, and sometimes those numbers aren't the full picture. This episode is a deep dive into data and its role in helping patients manage aspects of their diabetes. Topics include: A brief history of blood sugar mon...

Patients and clinicians both feel the time crunch when it comes to diabetes care, and that may affect how well they work together to manage diabetes.  In this episode, our cohosts discuss their experiences with technology and efforts to make communication and self-management more efficient for patients. Topics include: How clinicians' time limitations impact patient care  Communicating e...

Every day, people with diabetes may spend hours on blood sugar monitoring, dose logging, and other self-management tasks. As clinicians, we can help patients integrate diabetes technology into their routine so they can make the most efficient use of their time. Today, our cohosts share stories of time-management challenges with diabetes and how some digital health tools have helped their patients...

Tech can be a helpful tool to draw patients' attention to their own behavior and motivations. When we integrate apps and digital devices with patient-centered care, we may be able to help people with diabetes develop healthy habits. In this episode, our cohosts discuss the role of technology in facilitating behavior change for patients and caregivers. Topics include: Key features of diabetes apps...

To help people with diabetes stay engaged, it's important to acknowledge and address what's standing in their way. Cost, communication, the complexity of the insurance system, and clinician bias can all have an impact on patient engagement and access to diabetes technology. In this episode, our cohosts discuss some common barriers to engagement and conclude that with the right support, tech doesn'...

For patients, staying on track with diabetes self-management can be a challenge. Each time we end a visit with a diabetes patient, we send them off hoping they'll follow through on what we've discussed. But we can't control which factors in their lives may get in the way. In this episode, our cohosts discuss the ways that tech and a patient-centered approach can help clinicians stay connected with...