Print-friendly version
Email this article

The Need for a Health Team

Since diabetes is a complicated disease that affects many different parts of your body, it is something that you should not tackle on your own. A team approach to diabetes can be a tremendous help to someone with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, whether you are newly diagnosed or have had diabetes for some time. Although you are ultimately responsible for your own day-to-day diabetes care, it takes a team effort to successfully control your diabetes.

You should assemble a health care team whose members will work together to help you manage your diabetes and help you lead a healthy life, preventing the complications of diabetes. Think of yourself as captain of the team. Your fellow team members are health care professionals, each of whom offers invaluable expertise, guidance, and support.

Team Qualifications

It is reasonable to expect high professional standards, quality care, competence, honesty, and clear communication from the health care professionals on your team. You should be able to respect them, trust them, and feel comfortable interacting with them.

As team captain, it is your job to choose health care professionals who:

• Recognize you as an individual by accepting your input into treatment plans
• Respond clearly, honestly, and completely to your questions, concerns, and suggestions
• Recommend the best possible treatments for diabetes management and keep abreast of new treatments being introduced

The health care professionals on your team will expect certain things from you as well. They need accurate information in order to help you. They have a right to expect you to be honest about your testing habits, record-keeping, eating habits, and exercise.

You are the one who knows how you feel. It is up to you to communicate with other team members if unexpected problems arise with your health.

1 2 3 4 5 Next Page