Diabetes
Helping improve the quality of care for people with chronic illness is a focus of Quality Counts. As part of this work, Quality Counts has partnered with key stakeholders around the state to create the "Maine Diabetes Pathway" to help people with diabetes. Click here to download the Maine Diabetes Pathway.
The Maine Diabetes Pathway is a project of the Maine Aligning Forces for Quality Initiative, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Maine Diabetes Pathway was also made possible by the generous contributions from the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention, the Cincinnati Aligning Forces for Quality program, and the Greater Cincinnati Foundation.
If you have diabetes, there are things that you can do to make sure that you are getting the best care possible. Here are some tips.
Be Sure to Learn.
There are proven guidelines for quality care and treatment of diabetes recommended by experts.
- There are action steps for your doctor to follow at regular office visits
- There are action steps for you to follow in your day-to-day self-care at home.
- Know your numbers. Use a checklist to help make sure that you are successfully managing your health and your diabetes.
Remember, living with diabetes is a journey. “It takes a team” - your personal doctor, your diabetes educator, and you - working together to achieve your healthiest future.
Success Is Possible. Start Here.
Success with diabetes is possible, but it’s up to you to take charge of your condition. YOU CAN DO IT. Start here with our easy-to-follow checklist to put yourself on the pathway to a healthier tomorrow!
A Checklist For You - Using the Pathway's "Self-care Checklist" (revised August 2009):
- This is a checklist of the things that you can do at home. Look it over and see what things you are already doing. The things you are doing now are already making a difference in your health.
- Which one or two things on the list do you think you are ready to start doing? Once you get in the habit of taking care of those, you can talk to your healthcare provider about these other things.
Here are self-care steps recommended by the experts. Make a promise to yourself to do the following – choose where you want to start on your path.
I WILL…
- Make healthy food choices daily
- Be active every day
- Find ways to manage my stress
- Take my medicine as prescribed by my doctor and talk with my doctor about taking aspirin
- Check my blood sugar regularly and record results to help me track my progress
- Attend a diabetes self-management education program
- Quit smoking (call Maine Tobacco Helpline at 800-207-1230)
Using the Pathway's "Doctor Visit Checklist" (revised August 2009)::
- This is a list of the important things your healthcare provider needs to check, and how often they need to be done. Ask to get your test results, and then write the number in this space and compare it to the goal listed.
- If you write the date next to the result, you can make sure that these tests and checks are being done as often as the experts recommend.
- Your healthcare provider can often do all of these tests in their office, except for one. Getting an eye exam is your responsibility, so you need to make sure that you get an exam if you haven't had one in the last year. Ask your healthcare provider if you need help finding an eye doctor.
- After completing this checklist, keep it in a safe place at home so that the next time you get test results, you can compare them to these and see your progress.
- Doing a good job with the things on the self-care checklist will help to keep your test results in the healthy range.
It’s Okay to Ask
It’s okay to ask your doctor about problems caused by your diabetes – it can help to talk about them. These might include…
• Physical problems, such as numbness or tingling in your feet
• Feelings of guilt, stress, depression, or being out of control
Don’t pass off these concerns as being “just your diabetes.”
Be honest about what’s on your mind. It’s OKAY TO ASK your doctor and diabetes educator questions, and share what’s worrying you. You can be your own champion to achieve success with diabetes!
Start With Small Steps
Managing diabetes is not easy. But, spending a few minutes every day doing the right things can make a lifelong difference in your health.
TIP: Start with small steps, and as these become easier and part of a daily routine, add another one. You don’t have to change everything at once. And remember to reach out to family and friends if you need extra support. YOU CAN DO IT!
Learn More About Taking Charge of Your Diabetes
For more information, please visit the following websites:
Maine Diabetes Prevention & Control Program
Patient videos from the American Association of Diabetes Educators