The surge: Riding the wave of diabetes tech

I was talking to Dr. Arti Masturzo, the chief medical officer at CCS, about the company’s latest study, which connects the importance of preserving CGM access through DME channels with addressing physician burnout. 

That’s right: There’s so many people being diagnosed with diabetes, many of whom clamoring for a continuous glucose monitor - what she referred to as “the surge” - that physicians report being overwhelmed not only by the sheer volume of patients, but also, by the need to keep up to date on the latest technology. 

“You’ve got PCPs saying they are handling patients they don’t feel qualified to,” she told me. “I think we’re just beginning to recognize that these people need more support.” 

I’ve been fortunate in my diabetes journey to have access to excellent care and to fairly easily grasp diabetes self-management – everything from carb counting to CGMs. But then, I’m a reporter, so research and asking questions is my jam. 

Coincidentally, I met with my endocrinologist earlier this week. Everything is looking stable, she told me, although unfortunately, my AIC went in the wrong direction over the past few months. (AIC should go down! 401(k)s should go up!). 

But in chatting with her, I was also reminded of how, like the CCS study says, there’s a lot to keep up with and it’s easy, as a patient, to forget that physicians aren’t necessarily steeped in the details of all that diabetes management entails. 

I, for one, was an early adopter of the FreeStyle Libre; several years on, my endocrinologist is much more familiar with it (and it’s shortcomings, frankly). She was telling me about a medical conference in which attendees were given Libres to wear. Here’s the thing: Libres often have a tendency to run low, which results in literal, false alarms (often at the most inconvenient times). It was eye-opening for the physicians, not so much for the false readings, but for getting a better understanding of how exhausting diabetes is. 

Not looking for sympathy here, BTW. It is what it is.  

But back to Arti’s point: All this technology, and the management that goes with it, is something that DME providers – and the numbers of you offering CGMs are surging, along with the patients – are well-equipped to provide.