How I Use Telehealth and Technology to Manage My Type 2 Diabetes
Direct messaging allows easier contact with providers, and a smartwatch can help improve activity levels.
For Roger Hare and Nikki Nurse, who are both living with Type 2 diabetes, the convenience of telehealth and technology have made it much easier to stay healthy.
Here’s how technology helps them manage their Type 2 diabetes:
Direct messaging can help get quick answers from providers: Hare says that the direct messaging feature for his doctor allows him to get a response for certain important issues within 24 hours, “which is invaluable,” he says.
Quick support may help prevent medical emergencies: During one incident, Nurse’s blood sugar levels were off, and she was able to text her doctor, who instructed her to go to urgent care. “If I wasn’t able to reach out to my doctor to get a handle on what was going on with my body, then I [could] have ended up in a diabetic coma,” she says.
Smartwatches often provide incentives to encourage you to stay active and can track aspects of health: Hare explains that his smartwatch will buzz each hour to remind him to stand or walk. “It gives me a reward when I’ve hit 7,500 steps,” he says.
Online medical records may help you feel more in control of your health: Both Hare and Nurse say that they’re able to look back at their A1C and fasting glucose levels over time. “Now that I have access to all of my numbers, I feel so responsible,” Nurse says.
You can read more about Nikki’s experience with Type 2 diabetes here, and Roger’s experience with Type 2 diabetes here.
- Nikki NurseNikki Nurse is a writer, wellness advocate, caregiver, and content creator based in Brooklyn. She covers fitness, nutrition, mental health, and personal development.
- Roger HareRoger Hare is a 48-year-old accountant from New Jersey who has lived with diabetes since 2019.
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References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Your diabetes care team.
Mullur, Rashmi S., et al. (2022). Telemedicine in diabetes care. American Family Physician.
Rodríguez-León, Ciro, et al. (2021). Mobile and wearable technology for the monitoring of diabetes-related parameters: Systematic review. JMIR mHealth and uHealth.