Revolutionizing Diabetes Care
In the United States, diabetes is a growing public health crisis, affecting 38.4 million people (11.6% of the population). In addition, 100 million adults are prediabetic, and the challenges posed by diabetes extend far beyond individual patients. An estimated $410 billion plus is spent annually on diabetes care and complications, according to the American Diabetes Association. As these numbers continue to grow, so does the urgency to find innovative solutions for effective diabetes management.
The good news is that new technologies are emerging to make it easier. For millions living with diabetes, managing blood sugar is a daily burden, and tools like Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) enable patients to track their blood glucose in real-time. The result: critical insights delivered to both patients and healthcare providers, with the power to reshape diabetes care, reduce complications and help patients lead healthier lives.
We sat down with Dr. Caitlin Colling to get a deeper grasp on the diabetes challenge and discuss new approaches like Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) and Chronic Care Management (CCM).
Understanding the Disease
“Diabetes is a complex condition,” Dr. Colling explained. “Knowing the type of diabetes you’re managing—whether Type 1, Type 2, or gestational—is essential, as each type has different care needs.”
Diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin (the hormone that regulates blood sugar) or can’t use it effectively. Elevated blood sugar can damage the body’s systems, including the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves. While Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition often developing in childhood, Type 2 diabetes—by far the most common—typically arises in adults and is frequently linked to lifestyle factors. Gestational diabetes, meanwhile, affects some women during pregnancy and can carry significant risks if not managed carefully.
“Many patients don’t realize how vital early diagnosis is,” she says. “Getting ahead of it can mean preserving eye health, kidney function, and so much more.”
Saving Lives with CCM + RPM
Chronic Care Management (CCM) provides a coordinated, comprehensive approach to managing chronic illnesses like diabetes, helping patients maintain better health and prevent complications. By focusing on individual needs and creating personalized care plans, CCM improves outcomes and quality of life while reducing reliance on acute or emergency care. For diabetes patients, this means addressing blood sugar control and broader medical, social, and behavioral challenges associated with the disease.
Frequent glucose checks are vital to keeping blood sugar within a safe range, but manual testing can be inconvenient and costly. At the heart of CCM is Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM). As mentioned earlier, RPM uses connected medical devices—such as continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), blood pressure cuffs, and wearable sensors—to collect and transmit real-time health data to care teams.
“RPM represents the future of proactive care,” said Dr. Colling. “For diabetes, it’s not just about early detection of complications like kidney issues, nerve damage, or cardiovascular risks—it’s about building a system where interventions happen seamlessly and outcomes improve over time.”
Leading healthcare companies like DocGo take CCM one step further, combining telehealth, RPM, and mobile healthcare to facilitate delivery of essential care directly to patients’ homes. For instance, the in-home A1C testing, diabetic retinopathy screenings, and medication management provided by DocGo’s affiliated clinical practice groups ensure diabetes patients receive timely, accessible, and high-quality care where it’s most convenient.
Specifically, in-home A1C testing simplifies the process of tracking long-term blood sugar control by removing the need for frequent clinic visits. Meanwhile, diabetic retinopathy screenings, performed using handheld retinal cameras, enable care teams to detect vision-threatening conditions early and take prompt action. Finally, medication management services ensure patients remain on track with their prescribed treatments, reducing the risk of complications.
“For millions living with diabetes, CCM and RPM are lifelines,” says Dr. Colling. “They shift the focus from reactive crisis management to proactive, personalized care, reducing complications and redefining the future of chronic disease management.”
A New Vision for Diabetes Care
Dr. Colling believes that a proactive approach to diabetes management can dramatically alter the trajectory of the disease. “The combination of real-time data, personalized care plans, and direct, accessible support helps patients do more than manage their diabetes. They can actually stay ahead of it,” she said.
Dr. Caitlin Colling is an endocrinologist based in Boston, Massachusetts, affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital. She is a new member of the DocGo Medical Advisory Board.
