The healthcare team is so important for the person who is living with diabetes because this is the source of information that will form the guidance for the decisions that that person makes for the successful management of their disease.


So the key things that the patient should have addressed at every visit with the health care team should include 
the A1C, the blood pressure, cholesterol levels, foot checks, weight checks, a review of the medication plan to make sure that the medications are working, or not, and if they’re not getting you to the goals, what do you need to do to improve that. 


A few key things that patients should not overlook when they are visiting their healthcare team would include: if they were a smoker and they really need to quit and want to quit, they should ask for assistance in that, because that’s one of the absolute worst things that a person with diabetes can continue to do. And if you need help, get it. 


Second, make sure that you know what the appropriate schedule is going to be for your next visit. 



It’s important to get a flu shot every year. If you get the flu and you have diabetes, it’s going to be more difficult for you to control your diabetes, it’s going to be more difficult to overcome the disease, and so getting an annual flu shot is really critical at the start of the flu season. 


Pneumonia vaccinations are also important if you’re living with diabetes. 


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The kinds of resources that patients should ask for when they make a visit for diabetes care should include making sure that they get referral to a diabetes educator, make sure that they have access to a dietitian or to classes where those kinds of services are provided. 


Patients should find out where the support groups are around so that they can talk to people who are dealing with the same issues that they are dealing with. 

What kinds of educational materials—brochures, books, videos, there are a variety of things like those things we make available through the NDEP.


If a patient with diabetes is starting to feel down or depressed, the first thing that should happen is that somebody on the healthcare team should reassure them that it is not unusual. 


It is completely within the scope of what happens when you have diabetes to have periods when you feel down, but make sure that there’s somebody that you can be honest and open with about those feelings. To make sure that if you need some additional help—referral to a counselor, a psychologist, or even a psychiatrist for treatment—that that referral gets made and that the appropriate attention is paid to that problem.


You don’t need permission to ask questions about your health. You don’t need permission to write notes on responses that are given to you about your health. 

You are really, ultimately, the person in charge of managing your diabetes. You are getting advice from a team that you have engaged to help you with that.


You can get more information about managing and preventing diabetes by visiting YourDiabetesInfo.org.



I’m Dr. Gavin and your healthcare team can help you manage your diabetes.