Managing Diabetes With Patient-Centered Medical Home

What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a condition where your body is no longer able to properly manage the sugars in your bloodstream. It can cause serious complications such as:

• Raised risk of high blood pressure and stroke
• Problems with poor circulation
• Eye problems such as glaucoma and cataracts
• Kidney disease
• Nerve damage
• DKA (Ketoacidosis) and Ketones, a serious issue that can lead to a diabetic coma
• Gastroparesis (delayed emptying of the stomach and movement of food through the intestinal tract)

Managing Your Diabetes

Hearing the diagnosis can be scary, sad or even hard to believe. Many people who find out they have diabetes don’t really feel sick and are now faced with managing a serious illness that needs to be carefully managed.

When you're diagnosed with diabetes, you need answers to so many questions:

• Where do I begin to manage my type 2 diabetes?
• How do I know what I can and can’t eat?
• How do I manage my blood sugars?
• What can I do to stay healthy?

Living With Diabetes

As a Patient-Centered Medical Home provider, Methodist partners patients with health coaches to help answer those questions and help manage their illness. It’s a team approach to whole-person care, helping patients take a more active role in their health and wellness. 

Health coaches serve as a guide in between doctor visits to help manage care at home. Dietitians also play a role by helping manage diabetes through proper nutrition choices. 

Patients and providers alike want to use fewer medications and take a more natural approach to diabetes management.

Here for Your Health

Wherever you are in your health journey, don't be afraid to reach out and ask for help. Your Methodist Physicians Clinic primary care provider is dedicated to being your partner in health.