A good team can mean great outcomes in diabetes treatment
with Mark Klosiewski, R.N., Director of Columbia St. Mary's Diabetes Treatment Center
Type 2 diabetes is a complex condition affecting 17 million Americans and, if we don't change our habits, that figure could soar dramatically in the next 10 years.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-supported research indicates that unless they make some changes to their lifestyles, an additional 16 million "pre-diabetic" Americans will most likely develop the condition within a decade.
That's the bad news. The good news is that through monitoring of blood sugar levels and changes to diet and physical activity, the risk of pre-diabetes progressing to diabetes can be significantly reduced.
Mark Klosiewski, R.N., Director of Columbia St. Mary's Diabetes Treatment Center
Key components of a successful treatment plan are a healthy eating plan, exercising regularly, managing stress, monitoring blood sugars and managing medications. At Columbia St. Mary's Diabetes Treatment Center, the team approach addresses all those issues.
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Dispelling myths with knowledge
As the director of Columbia St. Mary's Diabetes Treatment Center, Mark Klosiewski knows the importance of the patient's role in treating this disease. The patient is an integral part of the multi-disciplinary team approach at the center. Step one is to arm the patient with a good understanding of their condition.
"Knowledge is very important," explains Klosiewski. "People with diabetes need to know what questions are important to ask their doctor. They really need to understand why we ask them to do what they are asked to do."
It's not uncommon for the team to have to dispel a few myths before they can begin imparting that knowledge. Many patients come into the center with a great deal of misinformation, according to Klosiewski. It's not unusual for people to have heard something from a friend or relative regarding diabetes that just isn't true.
"Many patients mistakenly believe that taking insulin means their condition is much worse, or that they will gain weight or become impotent," says Klosiewski. "They just don't have a good understanding of the disease."
Individual Plan Prepared by Experts
At the Columbia St. Mary'sDiabetes Treatment Center a team of clinical experts focuses on treating the individual with diabetes. In both individual and group settings, the team can address every aspect of treatment with a patient. The result is a more educated patient and better outcomes in managing the disease.
The multi-disciplinary team includes an exercise physiologist, a psychologist, a nurse educator and a dietician. Working together with the patient's physician, the team develops a comprehensive treatment plan for the individual.
Key components of a successful treatment plan are a healthy eating plan, exercising regularly, managing stress, monitoring blood sugars and managing medications, says Klosiewski. At Columbia St. Mary's Diabetes Treatment Center, the team approach addresses all those issues.
The Team
The nurse educator helps the patient understand how to take their medication or insulin and how to monitor their blood sugar levels. The psychologist works on modifying behaviors so that the patient can successfully make necessary changes in their lifestyle. Together with an exercise physiologist, patients develop exercise plans that fit both their needs and their schedule. The dietician helps patients determine meal plans that will improve successful management of their diabetes.
Hospitalized Patient Care
In addition to helping patients manage their diabetes on a day-to-day basis, another goal of the Diabetes Treatment Center is to improve the quality of care provided to people with diabetes when they find themselves hospitalized. Working to educate physicians and nurses and to improve hospital policies is an important focus of the Diabetes Treatment Center.
"People with diabetes are hospitalized considerably more frequently than the average person. Twenty percent or more of hospitalized patients have a secondary diagnosis of diabetes," says Klosiewski. "Research shows that these patients do far better if their blood sugars are closely monitored and well controlled while they are hospitalized.
Click here to learn more about Columbia St. Mary's Diabetes Treatment Center.
