Time in range is changing the game of diabetes management. When you use time in range, you see the whole story—overnight glucose patterns, how diet, exercise, and hormones affect glucose, and so much more. When you encourage people in your care to use time in range, you’re encouraging them to thrive.
We’ve put together 5 tips on how to talk to people with diabetes about all the benefits of time in range—so that you can help those in your care live their best lives.
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Language matters. No one wants to feel judged when they come to see their healthcare team—it doesn’t lead to empowerment or excitement. When talking about time in range, remember to leave your assumptions at the door and use non-stigmatizing language to receive a more open response from those in your care! Check out this guide for language recommendations from dStigmatize.
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Provide resources for access. There are various options for people with diabetes who are anxious about costs and access to a CGM for time in range. Timeinrange.org has resources like CGM insurance tools, information on professional CGM programs, CGM accessibility programs, and more. Providing support and options to those in your care is vital to breaking down barriers and encouraging time in range use.
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Focus on the positive. When sharing the benefits of time in range, focus on tangible, positive results from using time in range. For example, highlighting how time in range can help identify when their glucose levels are in range (woo!) and using the data from time in range to try to replicate that. Or, highlighting how every day is a new day with time in range. One rough day doesn’t define anyone!
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Emphasize personal goals. One of our favorite things about time in range is that it can be tailored to everyone’s individual needs! Though guidelines suggest people with diabetes stay within a range of 70 – 180 mg/dL for 70% of the day, it’s important to start with realistic goals individualized to each person. If numerical goals aren’t empowering someone in your care, you can focus on goals like figuring out what food or activity makes them spike or drop, how to feel more confident while traveling, and more.
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Make it a team effort. Ensuring that those in your care know that you’re rooting for them and want to help them start thriving using time in range can do wonders. While you may not be able to spend an hour with them each and every visit, introducing time in range to your workflow, educating them about resources available, and being a beacon of what they can do will mean more than you might know.