Treatment

Basal Insulin Management is not easy. These new tools could help

The vast majority of T2D people don't achieve their glucose target within six months often because they under-dose on insulin

When people with Type 2 Diabetes start basal insulin treatment, the goal is to reach a lower fasting glucose target. Each person gets an initial insulin dose and the expectation is that this dosage will gradually increase until the fasting glucose target is reached.

The vast majority of T2D people, however, do not achieve their glucose target within six months. In most cases, this is because their insulin dosage remains unchanged or increases too little to meaningfully lower their BG levels.

The ADA recommends equipping people with T2D with an algorithm for adjusting their insulin dosage based on self-monitoring of blood glucose.  One FDA-cleared medical device for people with T2D to get algorithmic support is the Insulia app (website), produced by Voluntis.

The Insulia app (iOS and Android) is a prescription-only medical device that provides people with T2D with insulin dose recommendations and educational coaching messages based on blood glucose values and other diabetes-related data.

Insulia is accessible to people with commercial insurance or Medicare/Medicaid. There is no cost to the provider to prescribe Insulia.  

 

“Just one fasting blood glucose reading per day is typically enough data for Insulia to adjust your once-daily basal insulin dose.”
-Barbara Eichorst, MS, RD, CDE who is a Clinical Diabetes Liaison at Voluntis

Patient quotes:

“I was never sure how to calculate, it’s very difficult to calculate…I just don’t fool with that, I’m glad Insulia is there to help me.” – Chris, Insulia user

“Using Insulia has saved me time because of the distance I live away from my provider; the hour to get there and the hour to get home, it has saved me so much time.” – Teffany, Insulia user

“I would not like to be without Insulia, now that I’ve gotten used to it, it makes it so much easier.” – Joan, wife of Insulia user

To start using Insulia, your doctor will activate your account and treatment plan with your profile, prescription, and glycemic targets, and then monitor your progress through remote access to your data.

Patients can use any meter to learn their blood glucose level and enter it into the Insulia app which then calculates their personalized insulin dosage.  This auto-calculation may eliminate the need for patients to call their doctor for their recommended insulin dosage and avoids each person having to do the math on their own, which may minimize errors and increase confidence.

Martin is the Founder of SelfRx Media and editor-in-chief of Insulin Nation. He's a passionate about sharing knowledge with those affected by Diabetes.

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