Letter from the Editor: Shrink and Move Video, Telehealth

This week finishes off National Diabetes Month, and over the past few weeks I have received countless videos, emails and tweets about diabetes. I have also noticed that more and more of my patients are watching You Tube, Netflix, sports or TV on their smartphones or tablets. Last week I had a consult with a patient and she asked me if she could wait 5 minutes so she could finish an episode of Ally McBeal.

It is because of these observations that I thought I would select a YouTube video for this week’s Tool for Your Practice. After looking through over 200 videos I decided that I would share Shrink and Move: Accept Your Diabetes with you. Try playing it for your patients and see if it motivates them.

It might be a good idea for you to play these videos for your patients online because a new study indicates that the use telehealth is increasing and more clinicians are online with their patients and now they are getting reimbursed for it.

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Announcements:

dLife.com: November 27, 7PM ET on CNBC

Topics: dLife takes an in-depth look at how diabetes drugs and devices are approved for use and how the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) helps, or hinders, that process. Also, a discussion of the special issues seniors with diabetes face as they age; and dLife’s Jim Turner asks you how your spouse deals with your diabetes health. Sundays on CNBC at 7 PM ET, 6 PM CT, and 4 PM PT. Catch up on dLife.com.

Please answer this week’s poll: Which ethnic food causes the biggest blood sugar problems for your patients?

Vote in and then see results from previous polls here.

Check out this week’s “Test Your Diabetes Knowledge” question!

Dave Joffe, Editor-in-chief