For most diabetics, finger poking is part of daily life, but it doesn’t have to be.
New technology offers an easier way to manage diabetes, and advocates and doctors are calling on the state to expand coverage of the device.
Tanner Stanley was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes nine years ago. Managing my blood sugar levels required up to 10 blood tests a day.
He is currently on a continuous glucose monitor (CGM). This is a wearable device that allows him to track his blood sugar levels throughout the day without doing anything.
“Honestly, my life has changed,” Stanley said. “For the first time since before I was diagnosed, I finally feel like I can live a normal life.”
Stanley said the health effects of high blood sugar are serious, but the device has given him peace of mind and the freedom to do what he likes without worrying.
“Before, you couldn’t exercise without constantly worrying about where your sugar was,” he added. “My overall health has really improved because I can now look at my phone.”
According to the Canadian Diabetes Association, more than 250,000 Albertans will be diagnosed with diabetes over the next 10 years. Once diagnosed, the risk of related health complications such as stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, and amputation increases.
Diabetes specialist Dr. Jeff Winterstein called the technology a “game changer.”
“Patients are actually eager to check their sugars… and they can see things from a physician’s perspective that we’ve never been able to see,” Winterstein said.
Winterstein said the data collected by the device can help paint a more reliable picture of what’s going on, identifying overnight spikes or dips that patients may not be aware of.
“If you think of a finger prick as a snapshot in time, this continuous glucose monitoring technology is like a movie,” Winterstein said. “You can get more information out of a movie than a snapshot in time.”
Alberta currently covers insulin pumps, but only continuous glucose monitoring for uninsured health benefit patients who inject insulin at least once a day. For others, the device costs between $3,000 and $6,000 per year.
Winterstein would like to see that change.
“This type of technology really empowers patients and helps treat diabetes, and it should be available to everyone,” he said. “It would be really beneficial for all people with diabetes to have access to this technology and hopefully the budget will include that in terms of public coverage.”
The Canadian Diabetes Association reports that diabetes care currently costs Alberta’s health system nearly $600, and that cost is expected to increase by $800 million by 2033.
Winterstein said public funding for CGM will help people better manage their disease and, in turn, protect them from other related health issues, and will save Alberta money in the long run. He said it can save money.
“By reducing the incidence of hypoglycemia, many patients no longer need to go to the emergency room,” he said. “If we can predict and prevent them, we are saving a ton of time, human resources and money using this technology.”
The Canadian Diabetes Association also recommends that provincial governments cover CGM for people who would benefit from taking it.
In July 2022, the Alberta government established a diabetes task force to review care in the province.
“The task force will identify gaps in the care currently provided and consider ways to strengthen prevention, screening, education and treatment for Albertans at risk for and living with diabetes.
“Part of this work will also include assessing the role of diabetes equipment and technology in diabetes care,” Health Minister Spokesperson Andrea Smith said in a statement Wednesday.
The group is expected to publish its final report and recommendations to health ministers in the spring.
With files from Evan Kenny, CTV News Edmonton
