Diabetes

Concern about overnight hypoglycemic events drives decision-making for patients with type 1 diabetes.

With the news that Medicare will soon pay for diabetes prevention, the 2016 edition of Patient-Centered Diabetes Care, presented by The American Journal of Managed Care, offered up-to-the-minute news on how technology will change the prevention and clinical care models, why ending stigma is key to treating obesity, and what’s ahead in insulin therapy.

Patient-Centered Diabetes Care (PCDC) is important because it provides a venue to share new knowledge and to meet different stakeholders that impact diabetes care, explained Robert A. Gabbay, MD, PhD, FACP, chief medical officer of the Joslin Diabetes Center, chair of PCDC, and editor-in-chief of Evidence-Based Diabetes Management.

While payer coverage for obesity care has improved since the American Medical Association declared that obesity is a disease, there's still a long way to go. Physician training must improve to eliminate stigma that keeps patients from getting care they need, according to experts who appeared at Patient-Centered Diabetes Care.

CMS' plan to pay for the National Diabetes Prevention Program is an important step toward payer coverage of technology-based diabetes care. But reimbursement for telehealth to treat type 2 diabetes remains challenging.

Diabetes care is incredibly complex and people are still trying to use data to predict issues with glycemic control, determine what the best combinations of drugs are, and to improve adherence with patients, explained Lonny Reisman, MD, CEO of HealthReveal and keynote speaker at Patient-Centered Diabetes Care.

It takes a village to manage people with diabetes, and that includes involving other professionals like diabetes educators, dieticians, and pharmacists more effectively, said Robert A. Gabbay, MD, PhD, FACP, chief medical officer of the Joslin Diabetes Center, chair of Patient-Centered Diabetes Care, and editor-in-chief of Evidence-Based Diabetes Management.

There may be some reluctance to reimburse telemedicine because there is a feeling that telemedicine costs might be added to overall cost, rather than be substituted, David Brumley, MD, MBA, senior medical director at Tufts Health Plan, explained at the 4th Annual Patient-Centered Diabetes Care Meeting, held April 7-8 in Teaneck, NJ.

Growth in retail health clinics reveals unmet medical needs for Americans who lack insurance, who cannot leave work, or who have disconnected with the health system. This growing sector of the health system is diagnosing and treating diabetes cases that would otherwise be missed.

Lonny Reisman, MD, CEO of HealthReveal, told attendees at Patient-Centered Diabetes Care that harnessing multiple disparate data sources can help physicians deliver better solutions at the point of care.

With not enough endocrinologists to go around, primary care physicians are important when it comes to caring for patients with diabetes, Albert Tzeel, MD, MHSA, FAAPL, regional medical director, senior products, Humana, said at the 4th Annual Patient-Centered Diabetes Care Meeting, held April 7-8, in Teaneck, NJ.

What we're reading, April 8, 2016: Disney demanded a soda study be withdrawn; WHO wants a reduction in the price of insulin; and hospitals need better tools to flag harmful prescription drugs.

A review of national Veterans Health Administration data has identified how the number of glucose-lowering agents used prior to insulin initiation impacts glycemic control.

Clinical pharmacy specialists impact patient care through improvements in clinical outcomes for diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia via clinical interventions and promotion of medication adherence.

The warnings on labels will come after FDA reviewed long-term safety data.

While this study focused on calculating the global burden of diabetes, it comes as advocacy groups are stepping up calls for soda taxes marketing limits to rein in the effect of unhealthy food and drink on poor countries.

Carrying weight around the midsection was associated with dysfunction of the left ventricle, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology.

STAMPEDE was one of the first studies to suggest that patients who did not meet the traditional criteria for bariatric surgery might be candidates for treatment of type 2 diabetes, not just obesity.

The nation's top food and drug regulator enjoyed a warm welcome from colleagues on the final day of the 65th Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology.

This week is the 4th annual Patient-Centered Diabetes Care (PCDC), co-hosted by The American Journal of Managed Care and Joslin Diabetes Center. Here we highlight the top 5 things to look forward to at this year’s meeting.

Results from the GAUSS-3 trial presented Sunday at the American College of Cardiology should be good news for Amgen, but an editorial in JAMA says the cost of evolocumab exceeds "willingness to pay" limits.

A small study of sudden out-of-hospital deaths raises questions about the quality of primary care, especially for women.

The 2013 guideline update from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association drew criticism when it was presented. Data presented in today's poster session at the ACC Scientific Session revealed unexpected results.

The half-day program covered healthy eating, how to prescribe exercise, evidence about stress reduction, and other lifestyle topics, as part of the American College of Cardiology's focus on prevention.

Greetings from First Lady Michelle Obama and a lecture from a non-cardiologist on population health set the stage for the 65th Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology. Prevention is the focus of this year's meeting.