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Mobile Application Shown To Enhance Diabetes Care

August 12th, 2011 by Medgadget in Health Tips, Research
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It seems intuitive (at least to Medgadgeteers) that mobile technology can be used to improve health outcomes, but we still need studies to actually put data behind this idea.  A recent study of the DiabetesManager mobile health platform from WellDoc is a step in this direction. We last reported about WellDoc’s mobile diabetes application in 2010, and since that time it has been tested in a clinical trial and was shown to reduce HgbA1c by 1.9%.

The DiabetesManager is a behavioral coaching and clinical decision support system.  Patients enter details about blood glucose values, medications, and behaviors via mobile phone, and health care providers receive quarterly summaries based on this information. Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at Medgadget*

When Diabetes Requires Mad Scientist Experimentation To Get Blood Sugars In Target Range

June 29th, 2011 by KerriSparling in True Stories
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I do not enjoy basal testing.  Even though I sometimes go six hour clips without having a snack (thanks, Birdy and your busy ways), something about knowing I can’t eat or exercise makes me want to do a 5K while simultaneously chomping down on some soft serve.

But when I noticed that I was going to bed at a completely normal blood sugar, but waking up in the 180 – 220 mg/dl range for three days in a row, I knew I needed to do some basal tweaking.

Making adjustments to my overnight basal rates always skeeves me out.  I’m a very deep sleeper (as evidenced by the fact that Siah prowling around on the bed all night doesn’t wake me in the slightest, but makes Chris say “We’re sleeping with the door SHUT tonight,” in the morning), and I have a very healthy fear of overnight low blood sugars.  My symptoms of a low on the overnights used to be this body-drenching sweat, but since the birth of my daughter, that symptom has all but disappeared.  Now, I don’t have any symptoms at all.  Blood sugars of 60, 50, and lower don’t even register until I prick my finger and go, “Oh.  I guess I’m low?” Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at Six Until Me.*