COVID-19 Telehealth Silver Lining
Telehealth for people with diabetes has become a necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic when social distancing, lockdowns, and stay-at-home orders have been implemented to prevent transmission of the virus.
These precautions are especially important for people with diabetes to follow because their conditions make them more likely to become severely ill and get more serious complications from COVID-19 if they are infected. That covers a large proportion of the population: For example; around one in ten US citizens have diabetes.
Telehealth can be as simple as a telephone consultation or as complex as an insulin pump connected to a glucose monitor providing continuous data for a medical team.
Advocacy Action: Is Telehealth taking off in your country? Could it be encouraged through patient awareness, professional training for medical staff, technical support for patients and practitioners?