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Communicating with patients about diabetes technology

6 min read

As you work to identify the right digital health tool for your patient, it’s important to continue the conversation about their needs and uncover potential barriers to technology adoption. Explore the communication strategies below to support productive conversations with your patients about digital health.

Focus on individual needs

Ask questions and listen. Find out what’s below the surface to discover why the patient may be struggling.

Individualize the problem-solving process. After you identify the patient’s underlying challenges, ask them what small changes they could make to address what’s standing in their way, and then help them form a plan that they feel good about.

Model the engagement you’d like to see in your patient. You can encourage engagement by embodying it. Validate the patient’s concerns and match their effort toward their goals and achievements with positive reinforcement.

Help the patient find their intrinsic motivation. A patient is more likely to stick with a diabetes care plan if they do it for reasons that are truly meaningful to them.

Help the patient understand the diabetes care plan. When you make a recommendation, it may help to make sure the patient understands the reason for it and the value that it may have.

Responding to patient concerns

Each of these cards has an example of a concern that a patient may have about incorporating digital health into their diabetes management plan. Click on each concern to see a suggestion about how to respond and help them overcome potential barriers to adoption.

I’m fine with what I’ve always done.

Validate how they feel, then dig deeper. Ask if they can remember a time when they weren’t satisfied with their current routine.

New technology is mostly just flash and not necessary. I’d rather stay with what’s tried and true.

Ask if there’s any technology they’re using that has benefited them (eg, smartphone).

I can’t afford some new high-tech device.

Offer to help them with a benefits verification and/or research a savings offer from the device manufacturer.

I don’t want to have to learn a whole new system.

Let them know that most digital tool manufacturers provide educational training and financial support.

I don’t want to have to think about diabetes—I just want something that works.

Ask them what a satisfactory device experience would look like to them.

I don’t want to wear a device or get reminder alarms all the time. It’s embarrassing.

Help them problem-solve to see if there’s a less obtrusive solution that might work for them (eg, discreet wearables, silent reminders).

My loved one with diabetes won’t be able to use this device.

Involve the child or adult patient in the demonstration of the device, along with the caregiver, walking everyone through it together.

I like to run and swim, and I can’t do that while wearing a device.

Ease the patient’s concerns by providing information about waterproof devices that could work for them.

I don’t have time to add another thing to my routine.

Ask them to explain why they like the status quo. It may help them see that it has room for improvement. What’s working now? What might change with the digital tool in question?

Patient communication guide

Get a printable version of the patient concerns and talking points above to help facilitate patient conversations in your practice.

Download the guide

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Diabetes Tech-up^TM is sponsored by Novo Nordisk, a global leader in diabetes. We believe that adoption of innovative technologies can help appropriate patients better manage diabetes. Our goal is to provide information to help health care professionals on the front line of diabetes care strengthen their understanding of diabetes technologies and implement them where they can have the greatest impact.

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