THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Alex Owens, MD, MPH, Director of Clinical Strategy
Over the last decade, there have been advancements in diabetes care that have transformed the lives of many with diabetes. There are more ways than ever to support each person with diabetes and help them optimize blood sugar control.
The question is: Why hasn’t this materialized into better population-level results? After years of progress, the segment of U.S. adults with diabetes demonstrating blood sugar control has gone down.
For people with diabetes, managing their condition can be a daily chore. Advancements in technology have made self-management easier, but we need to ensure technology, education and quality care are accessible to the people who need them most.
This Diabetes Awareness Month, we at Teladoc Health recognize the challenge ahead and are taking steps to amplify the impact of innovative tools, such as continuous glucose monitors (CGMs).
In alignment with the American Diabetes Association (ADA), Teladoc Health believes in the power of CGMs. We know the impact CGMs can have on people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. There is an array of evidence that support the ability for CGM usage to help reduce A1c, fewer episodes of hypoglycemia and other benefits.
As technology has improved, how CGMs are used has evolved. Initially, for people with type 1 diabetes or people with type 2 diabetes taking insulin, CGMs have been more broadly adopted as a tool for seeing how blood sugar levels relate to daily behaviors.
For people who are not insulin dependent, there can be tremendous value in intermittently using a CGM. The data can be eye-opening and motivate users to make meaningful lifestyle changes.
Teladoc Health wants to make it easier for people using CGMs to access that value. We have partnerships with leading CGM manufacturers enabling us to integrate readings from their device into the Teladoc Health app.
The data provided by CGMs can be overwhelming for some users, and the potential for information overload stresses that CGMs aren’t a solution on their own.
The real power of CGMs and the data they provide is when users have the context and support of an expert who can interpret the data. CGMs reveal blood sugar highs and lows that may otherwise go undetected with sporadic blood glucose meter usage. Users also get real-time alerts that can prompt them to act and keep their levels in a safe range.
CGMs also reveal patterns and trends that may mean little to users but be revelatory to a healthcare professional. For example, certain blood sugar patterns are better addressed by focusing on what a person eats, how much and how quickly it’s eaten, and even the order in which parts of a meal are eaten. Other patterns suggest that a CGM user would benefit more from focusing on physical activity, stress management, sleep or weight loss. Meanwhile, certain medications are more effective for one pattern than another, so trends can be valuable for physicians and help inform treatment.
Users shouldn’t be expected to do this alone. Teladoc Health helps connect CGM users with care providers and trained health coaches who deliver personalized education and support that allows them to maximize the impact of the CGM.
CGMs are not a cure-all. They provide insights that, with the right support, can help people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes or with prediabetes. The impact comes when insights are turned into action, specifically around foundational lifestyle behaviors.
Positive behavior changes around activity, nutrition, sleep and stress management, help people manage their diabetes. In addition, healthy behaviors help people achieve their optimal level of cardiometabolic health because the pathways that determine blood sugar are strongly interconnected with pathways for blood pressure, inflammation and more.
Teladoc Health supports people with diabetes with an approach focused on addressing the root cause. Using data from CGMs and more, our clinical algorithm aligns with the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 to identify opportunities for improvement and drive engagement.
A population-health-level impact starts with making care more accessible at an individual level and connecting each person to the right support. Teladoc Health is delivering on this:
Beginning with prevention and making support more accessible, I’m confident there’s a path to better population health outcomes. Teladoc Health is proud to be moving diabetes care forward by getting innovative technology, education and quality care into the hands of more people.
