diabetes 24-7: New York Times Today: "Diabetes and Its Awful Toll..."

09 January 2006

New York Times Today: "Diabetes and Its Awful Toll..."

4 Comments:

Keith said...: This is sad, Elizabeth, and so much of it could be avoided. Thanks for the article. I'm going to forward it to a few friends.; 5:58 PM
Kassie said...: This article sparked a lively debate amongst some of my d-friends today.

I found it to be overwhelming, and I read it as heavy handed on the role of behaviour and critical of people who may not have the means to acheive good diabetes control, regardless of how motivated they are. It lumps a lot of people - many of whom do not have good access to quality health care - under the same umbrella. It focuses on T2, but seems to highlight a T1 (26 year old w/rapid weight loss), further muddying the waters. It details the sad stories of people but does little to uncover why they are in the situation they are in. Are they just blowing off diabetes? Or are there financial and societal pressures that contribute.

Not to sound cynical, but I read it as a scare tactic to underscore the need for the new Registry. It highlights the worst cases in an effort to make a point, and that is a turn off for me.

Mostly, it was just overwhelming.; 7:34 PM
Elizabeth Snouffer said...: Thanks for the Posts...

I believe that the NY Dept of Health has an agenda, but I also believe that this article is real. I am glad the NY Times published it. There are many negative perceptions that are reinforced here by doctors, and patients. I see this as a large part of the problem. In other words, I know most patients don't take diabetes seriously, and I know that doctors can do nothing but raise their arms in the air and scream "I have had enough failed outcomes!"
For years now, it hasn't gone any further than this!
Why are we as a patient group so apprehensive to admit that Diabetes is beating down most people? There are not many winners in the Diabetes Circle. The differences between Type 1 and Type 2 are critical sometimes psychologically, but not always.
Is there a difference between how a Type 1 is perceived and how an (overweight) Type 2 is perceived?
Is there a difference in costs related to each group and success rate of outcomes?
Finally, what is the percentage difference in population between each group? (Answer = approximately 21 million diagnosed and un-diagnosed (USA), maximum of 10% or 2 million have Type 1).
There are so many unscrutinized questions. But there are also very few solutions. I hope this is a new beginning for more (and better) solutions.
Why don't we - as the DOC - write a letter to the NYTimes and discuss critical points here. They will publish it...I bet.

Elizabeth; 8:43 PM
Kassie said...: I'm not apprehensive about admitting that diabetes is beating people down, I'n just wary of how much empahsis is placed on the patient failure. I recently read a sample letter from a diabetes registry in VT that tells patients they are being contacted as a result of an effort to "identify patients who are not meeting diabetes treatment targets." With targets being A1c of <8%.

Call me a bleeding heart liberal (cause I am) but I'm not seeing how this will help. But yes, I agree, things are out of control on a global scale (as well as for the people profiled in that article).; 11:30 PM