CRF Health Celebrates American Diabetes Month

CRF Health Celebrates American Diabetes Month

By Rick Strobridge , VP, Healthcare, CRF Health

American Diabetes Month is important to CRF Health because our mission is to drive innovative medical advancements that enhance and enrich the lives of billions of people worldwide.  

Living with Diabetes

In July 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that more than 100 million Americans have diabetes or prediabetes. “Although these findings reveal some progress in diabetes management and prevention, there are still too many Americans with diabetes and prediabetes,” said CDC Director Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D. “More than a third of U.S. adults have prediabetes, and the majority don’t know it. Now, more than ever, we must step up our efforts to reduce the burden of this serious disease.”1

Other statistics revealed that the 1 in 4 adults that are living with diabetes didn’t know they had the condition.1

Today, innovative technology has enabled persons with diabetes to manage their condition with ease, and allowed them to get back to doing what makes them happy.

In 2007, I began the search for a better way to manage diabetes because my sister-in-law, Kim Skibsted, lost her sight due to the disease. We created the first FDA and CE approved wireless blood glucose meter.  It was also the first to have connectivity to a mobile phone app.  To this day we continue to push the envelope on solutions that make life easier for persons with diabetes.

Watch Kim’s story here (video courtesy of CNIB).

Helpful Resources for Persons with Diabetes

Managing diabetes can be challenging and exhausting. Whether you’ve been living with the condition for decades or were recently diagnosed, there are resources available to help you.

As someone who has been in the healthcare industry for 25+ years, I can tell you that the following organizations have been helpful for many of our clients.

• American Diabetes Association. Their mission? To prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. Everything from how to know if you’re at risk, food and fitness, advocacy, and other resources are available here.
• Diabetes Forecast. Published by the American Diabetes Association, Diabetes Forecast is a consumer magazine website for people living with diabetes or prediabetes. The website reaches highly engaged people who are actively seeking ways to live healthier, happier, and longer while managing their condition. Real-life stories and reader-submitted content are available for those on the broad spectrum of people living with diabetes— from those newly diagnosed with diabetes to people who have been living with the condition for decades.
• Diabetes Research Institute Foundation. A national organization solely devoted to finding a cure for diabetes. Learn more about how you can contribute to the research and development for finding a cure.
• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. This link gives you 4 easy steps to manage your diabetes for life.  
• diaTribe. diaTribe provides free cutting-edge diabetes insights and actionable tips for people with diabetes. Their mission is to help individuals better understand their diabetes and to make readers happier and healthier. Join the tribe!

You may also like:

• Access CRF Health’s Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) Resource Hub to download whitepapers, watch webinars and short videos, and learn more about RPM
• Register for my upcoming webinar: 5 Best Practices for Using Connected Devices in Clinical Trials
• Learn more about CRF Health’s Remote Patient Monitoring solution, CareMaxTM

Resources

1. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p0718-diabetes-report.html

About the Author

Rick Strobridge is a recognized expert in healthcare information technology, medical imaging systems, and medical technology integration. Throughout his career he has specialized in healthcare delivery and organizational process improvement through the use of telecommunications and information technology. Rick is a pioneer in integrated voice/video/data networking, videoconferencing and distance learning. He implemented some of the first video networks in the U.S. and his career includes many firsts in the video networking field. Rick is a graduate of Colgate University.

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