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Remission Status...but

Mbaker

Mbaker

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,340
Location
Essex
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Available fast foods in Supermarkets
Got a printout confirmation that my surgery have accepted my request for "Diabetes in remission" status. However they have now pulled my test strips, although I have appealed under the following section:

1.6.16 If adults with type 2 diabetes are self‑monitoring their blood glucose levels, carry out a structured assessment at least annually. The assessment should include:
  • the person's self-monitoring skills
  • the quality and frequency of testing
  • checking that the person knows how to interpret the blood glucose results and what action to take
  • the impact on the person's quality of life
  • the continued benefit to the person
  • the equipment used. [2015]
I just wanted to check is it right that my Diabetic Retinopathy checks should also have been pulled, I thought I read somewhere this should continue.
 
Yes, I knew that. You need to check you have been given the correct code of "in remission" not "resolved".

Well done on the new status, and good luck with the strips - you may need luck.
 
Mbaker said:
checking that the person knows how to interpret the blood glucose results and what action to take
Click to expand...
Well done on your change of status and the hard work and dedication that went into achieving your results!

Correct coding should ensure that you are called back for retinopathy screening. However, it may be a different situation with the test strips as most GP's only consider the possibility of drug or insulin-induced hypoglycemia in the context of patients "interpreting the blood glucose results and what action to take", i.e. is the patient at risk for hypoglycemia, and does the patient know what action to take if they test and see that they are hypoglycemic.

Sadly, if your GP has not had experience with patients successfully managing their T2DM through diet (enabled by the data generated with self-blood glucose monitoring) then they may think that providing strips is a waste of scarce resources, so be prepared and back up your request with your testing data and your dietary action plan.

For my own purposes, I prefer the term 'T2DM, diet-controlled' because I suspect that I am only a few high-carb meals away from relapse. I am considering asking for a glucose tolerance test to find out one way or the other.;)
 
Thank you all for the responses. I got to see a Dr (not my main) who took notes for a meeting on Thursday with my requests on the agenda. It was my diabetic nurse who removed the strips and ret testing. I am confident about getting the ret tests back as this is policy, 50 / 50 on the strips.
 
Mbaker said:
I got to see a Dr (not my main) who took notes for a meeting on Thursday with my requests on the agenda
Click to expand...
@Mbaker take a look at the following article on ‘patient activation’ in the BMJ:

‘Patients need to be activated, but so do clinicians and the system’​

Highly ‘activated’ patients cost the system less because they take an active role in their own health. Any person with Type 2 taking an active role (and having success) in their day-to-day management is by definition a highly activated patient.

Be sure to impress on your GP how effectively your contribution to your own self care is (a) leading to better health outcomes (as defined by your new 'remission' status), and (b) your self-care efforts are saving the GP practice money in the short and long term (medications, avoidance of complications down the road, etc). Your test strips are an essential part of your self-management strategy as a 'highly activated' patient.;)

Here is a snippet from the article:

“Patient’s behaviour can trump healthcare input, biology, and environmental factors as self-care and self-management have been shown to have up to 50% of the influence on an individual’s health and wellbeing.”​

http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2018/01/09...ctivated-but-so-do-clinicians-and-the-system/
 
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