Page 8 - 2019 MPMA Summer Profiles

Electronic Diabetes Devices
Offer Disease Management
for Podiatric Doctors
Dr. Shawn Reiser
I had one
patient who went from
a hemoglobin A-1 C of
12.5mg/dL to 8.5mg/
dL within the first six
months of having the
device. I hope as time
goes on more and more
of my patients will have
access to continuous
glucose devices.”
—Dr. Shawn Reiser
8 MICHIGAN PODIATRIC MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
eople with diabetes are turning to electronic skin patches and
their phones to control their diabetes instead of pricking their
Pfingers.
Patients are now wearing coin-sized skin patches on their arms or
abdomens to test their blood-sugar levels automatically, then send the
data to their smartphone or to a wearable insulin pump that delivers the
medicine.
Known as continuous-glucose monitors, these devices are becoming
more popular. In the U.S. their use has nearly doubled from 389,000 at
the end of 2017 to 840,000 as of March 2019.
Digital blood-sugar monitors hit the market in the mid-2000s and has
soared because the devices have become more accurate and more health
plans are paying for them.
The disposable sensors can be worn around the clock. They stick to
a patient’s abdomen or arm and insert a tiny needle into the skin to sense
changes in blood-sugar and transmit readings wirelessly. Some patients
have the glucose data sent to a wearable insulin pump; some pumps can
adjust the dose based on the glucose reading.
Some monitors sound alarms and keep track of long-term data, which
patients can share with their physicians.
MPMA member Dr. Shawn Reiser from Community Podiatry Group
in Flint, MI feels the technology is key to diabetes control.
“Continuous glucose monitoring helps my patients better manage
their blood sugar. I had one patient who went from a hemoglobin A-1C of
12.5mg/dL to 8.5mg/dL within the first six months of having the device.
It’s super handy because everything is on their phone and can easily be
shared in one log to their doctor. It also adds a convenience factor that
cannot be overlooked. For example, if a patient is exercising and they
don’t feel like themselves they automatically know their blood sugar level
by checking their phone. Then they can do what is necessary to take hold
of the situation before it gets out of control. I hope as time goes on more
and more of my patients will have access to CGM.”
Controlling diabetes is a complex job that affects approximately
1,055,253 people in Michigan.
Continued on page 20