Diabetes is one of the most complex and overwhelming health issues a person can face. Of the over 38 million people who currently struggle with this condition, over 75% are struggling to manage it. Lack of access to diabetes education and support is a leading driver of the problem. While doctors do all they can to provide the best care possible, they simply don’t have the time to provide basic education or the ability to ensure patients stay engaged outside of the time-limited office visit.
My Diabetes Tutor (MDT) is closing the diabetes education and support gap as we strive to help patients improve their health and quality of life and help doctors provide more meaningful and rewarding treatment for their patients.
Here are 11 reasons why patients with diabetes and their doctors need My Diabetes Tutor.
1. Expanding Access to DSMES
While diabetes self-management and education and support (DSMES) leads to better patient outcomes and is recommended by the CDC, AMA, and other leading healthcare organizations, less than 7% of eligible patients actually utilize it. This is often due to a lack of resources, geographic access, and language barriers. MDT is a virtual telehealth solution that lets patients attend sessions from their own spaces. Sessions are available in multiple languages (English, Spanish, Chinese/Mandarin, Vietnamese, Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu).
2. A Safe and Supportive Space for Diabetes Management
Many people with diabetes are self-conscious about their struggles to properly manage it. They don’t want to share their struggles because they’re afraid of being judged or criticized. While many DSMES programs offer sessions in a group setting, MDT offers personalized, one-on-one engagement so that fear of stigma or judgment won't get in the way of their progress. MDT provides the discretion and privacy needed to comfortably address and overcome your struggles.
3. Patients Don’t Have a PhD in A1C
The complexity of diabetes makes it incredibly hard for patients to take control of their condition. Without the right level of guidance and support, grasping genetics and family history, lifestyle and behavioral changes, nutrition and physical activity, medication adherence, and all other pillars of diabetes care is incredibly hard. MDT helps patients demystify these issues and understand how they relate to one another for comprehensive diabetes management.
4. Patients Have Their Own Diabetes Educator and Coach
Patients with diabetes often feel alone and lack a support system. This can cause them to feel overwhelmed and even give up on their diabetes management altogether. With MDT, patients are paired with their own Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) coach, who provides personalized guidance, education, and support on both the broader aspects of improved diabetes management and their unique pain points and struggles. MDT CDCES coaches are experienced and passionate healthcare professionals with years of expertise in helping patients with diabetes.
5. Greater Health Literacy Means Greater Peace of Mind
Patients with diabetes often find management of their condition overwhelming to the point of burnout. These mental health issues often originate because they feel lost as to how to get started navigating their condition. MDT sessions provide greater health literacy to reduce the mental health stress and burnout that many patients with diabetes experience when they get overwhelmed by their health issues.
6. Empowerment through Accountability
Patients often struggle to maintain consistent management of their diabetes because they don’t interact with their care providers enough. They are more likely to take an active role in their health when they’re attending regular sessions versus less frequent visits to their doctor. MDT provides patients with accountability for short and long-term goals that can comprise a better lifelong management plan. This accountability and the agency that it gives patients directly translates to more meaningful interactions with their care providers.
7. The Proof Is in the Progress
Patients with uncontrolled diabetes often have fluctuating A1C numbers and trouble controlling their blood sugar levels from day to day. This increases the risk of serious long-term complications and has a genuine impact on their everyday health and quality of life. In addition to fewer complications, better sleep, and more rewarding engagement with their doctors, MDT participants have achieved a 1.4 average A1C reduction, a 10% decrease in LDL, a 43% decrease in Triglycerides, and a 6-point increase in eGFR (kidney function test). The average A1C reduction for MDT patients is significantly better than the national average.
8. A Patient-Collaborative Approach
There's a lot of information out there, and even group sessions that teach diabetes basics, but diabetes is a complex condition, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution to management. MDT sessions offer personalized support and education that speaks to each patient’s unique care and lifestyle needs. This empowers patients to become more engaged in their own care.
9. You’re Covered
Many patients never even explore DSMES because they don’t think they can afford it. MDT sessions are covered by most private insurance and Medicaid (in CA) to make this game-changing resource cost just a small co-pay - and many patients pay nothing at all.
10. Let Doctors Be Doctors
It can be hard for healthcare providers to have to spend valuable patient time during every appointment going over basic education or trying to convince their patients of the importance of making lifestyle changes. MDT helps reduce the burden on doctors to teach Diabetes 101, allowing them to focus on providing a deeper level of care while being assured that their patients are getting the consistent support they need to manage their condition independently. This helps improve outcomes, increase patient satisfaction, and leave clinicians more fulfilled in their duties as care providers.
11. Partnering with Patients’ Doctors for Better Continuity of Care
MDT programs do not take the place of clinicians in providing treatment. In fact, programs strive to collaborate with patients’ doctors to provide a full continuum of care. MDT educators work with doctors to give their patients access to comprehensive care that extends beyond the time constraints of the traditional office visit. Session notes are uploaded directly to patients’ doctors’ records systems to provide seamless continuity of care. In addition, detailed reports are provided regularly.
Contact us today to learn more.
Call 844-623-0999 or email info@mydiabetestutor.com today to discover what we can do for your patients.