What Is A Patient to Do – Provide BG Data?

This has been a sore point with me and several of the “diabetes coaches” I have come across in the last few years. Of the five, four were of the opinion that you should never take your blood glucose meter to a doctor appointment. They felt that this was your information and the doctor did not need it. The fifth said take it or not, it was your data and it was up to you whether you shared it or not.


Now I understand why I could not do business with these “diabetes coaches.” I have always been one that believed the more eyes on the data, the better I would be, because what I missed, the doctor might catch and prevent problems down the road. Plus, I have found it easier to convince the doctor that I was doing things correctly and not to be so uptight about my A1c's. This is because they worry too much about hypoglycemia. I am glad they have the concern, but as long as I don't have severe episodes, I don't get concerned about readings above 55 mg/dl. Below 55 mg/dl, even I have concern. They worry about anything below 80 mg/dl and with the new guidelines for 70 mg/dl they had better not complain about mine above 70 mg/dl.


This study, presented at The Endocrine Society Annual Meeting and Expo; June 15-18, 2013 in San Francisco does point out that those that bring their meters to their appointments, have a lower A1c than those that don't. The difference is significant at 1.2% less for those that brought their meters to appointment for Medicaid and Medicare patients.


Therefore, I will continue doing what I do and bring my meter, which is downloaded and the data used during my appointment. And I will continue to stay away from “diabetes coaches” that advise not taking my meter.