For centuries, chronic illnesses have plagued humankind, and one of the most difficult to manage is diabetes mellitus, which affects nearly 30 million Americans. November is Diabetes awareness month, and it's always a great time to learn more about how technology plays a major part in how people with Diabetes manage their condition. With over 34 million in the United States alone having a diagnosis of Diabetes, there's a really good chance that you know somebody who lives with this disease.
Today, with the help of new technologies in the field of diabetes care, glucose monitoring has become much more than just pricking your finger to check blood sugar levels. Real-time continuous glucose monitoring (RT-CGM) systems can provide real-time data on glucose levels that empowers users to make crucial health decisions in regard to managing their disease. Here are some ways RT-CGM can help people with diabetes all over the world live healthier lives.
Impact of CGM Devices
Technology has changed our lives in so many ways, but one of the most profound impacts has been on the management of diabetes. Thanks to the advent of affordable and reliable glucose monitors, people with diabetes now have real-time access to their blood glucose levels-information that can change how they manage their disease. In particular, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices have revolutionized how patients receive their readings: Rather than receiving a reading once a day from a fingerstick test or manually entering data into an insulin pump or glucose meter, people using CGM wear a sensor that continuously measures their blood sugar levels every five minutes.
The information is sent wirelessly to a small device about the size of a pager, which displays glucose levels as well as provides audible alerts when certain thresholds are reached. The beauty of CGM technology is its ability to provide these types of warnings without cumbersome user intervention; for example, unlike some insulin pumps that require multiple input changes throughout the day, someone wearing a Dexcom G4 PLATINUM system will receive a warning if their blood sugar is too high without any action required on their part beyond wearing it. While improvements continue to be made, there's no doubt that CGM technology has already had a significant impact on people living with diabetes worldwide by improving awareness and allowing more proactive management.
This powerful tool not only offers us another option for preventing complications like blindness and kidney failure but also enables us to maintain optimal health while taking full advantage of life experiences free from constant fear. As time goes on, we anticipate seeing even greater benefits in clinical settings thanks to ongoing research initiatives aimed at minimizing issues like interference with wireless signals or sleep apnea by making CGMs smaller and less obtrusive. It's impossible to tell where the technology may take us next, but given what we know today, it's clear that CGM tools are helping improve the quality of life for millions of people around the world.
One other perk of utilizing Diabetes related technology is you may qualify for discounted health and life insurance premiums. Matt Schmidt of Diabetes 365 mentions "certain insurance providers are offering discounted premiums to those individuals who use technology to help manage their Diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes life insurance rates are always more expensive, so these types of discounts can go along ways over time."
Benefits of Telemedicine in the Wake of Covid-19 Pandemic
There's no shortage of ways to use technology to improve our lives, but few have been as powerful as telemedicine. With potential applications for everything from remote surgeries to monitoring a loved one with a chronic illness, it's truly a revolutionary field-but its benefits aren't limited to personal or private endeavors. From an economic standpoint, telemedicine also offers considerable potential by reducing costs while improving care. To give you a better idea of how it can be applied during public health emergencies like pandemics, I want to take a moment to review three major benefits.
1. Comfortability
Patients often feel uncomfortable with medical visits for a variety of reasons, whether it's due to an inability to speak with their doctor without feeling judged or because they lack knowledge on what to expect. While issues like these can be tough to overcome in person, they're much less significant when you're dealing with someone thousands of miles away via telemedicine. This allows patients who are already comfortable with their doctor (or who may be too ill or incapacitated to travel) time to recuperate while getting necessary care at their convenience-without having to worry about nervousness or anxiety getting in the way of recovery.
2. Home Based Specialized Care
One of the CGM systems and telemedicine's strongest benefits is its ability to bring specialized care directly to people without requiring them to travel long distances, but that benefit becomes even more important during public health emergencies like pandemics. During these crises, when large swaths of the population are under quarantine or forced to stay indoors due to safety concerns, it can be difficult for medical staff to reach everyone who needs help-particularly if they live far away from hospitals or other treatment centers. By utilizing telemedicine, people living in rural areas with few alternatives don't have to worry about whether their town will get help; instead, they can simply call their doctor via video chat or connect using another secure method while remaining at home.
3. Eliminates Any Chance of Getting Covid-19 Infection
As we already know, Covid-19 spreads through air -which means that anyone who visits a public space or attends a large event is at risk. However, just because it's spread through the air doesn't mean that everyone will be infected during an outbreak-the virus can also be transmitted from person to person if certain precautions aren't taken. But by allowing doctors to monitor their patients remotely via telemedicine, there are virtually no chances for cross-contamination between patients or providers; they can safely administer treatment without risk of being exposed to any potentially harmful pathogens.
4. Access to Needed Care Regardless of Economic Background
CGM systems further democratize healthcare by offering everyone-no matter their economic status-unprecedented access to proper treatment during an emergency. Instead of having to choose between saving money for basic needs like food or paying exorbitant fees for specialist care, people of all backgrounds can get specialized treatment no matter what kind of financial situation they're in; even if they don't have insurance coverage, they'll still be able to receive help with their medical needs.
In essence, CGM systems and telemedicine empowers those who need it most; those who can't afford to pay for expensive treatments or those who live far away from hospitals and specialized care. By offering everyone access to medical professionals 24/7, these evolving technology and health care models will ensure that no one falls through the cracks or goes without treatment during a crisis situation-no matter where they happen to be.
Author Bio - Melissa Thompson is an LA-based content strategist for Diabetes 365. She covers industry developments and helps educate the diabetes community with the advances in technology. In her free time, Melissa enjoys swimming, swing dancing, and sci-fi novels.
