Once the appropriate data have been entered, the user can view them in tabular and graphic form. When viewed as a table, the values may be changed, deleted, or saved to the system. Once two or more data points have been entered, they appear in the form of a line graph, in which blood glucose levels are plotted against time. Icons representing meal, medication, and exercise times appear as well, enabling the user to see the rise and fall of his or her glucose levels during the course of the day, and determine what effect eating, taking medication, and exercising may have. The user then has the option of e-mailing this information directly to his or her doctor or any member of the diabetes care team.
Most diabetic patients see their doctors on a regular basis - monthly, perhaps, or every few months.
While it's important for the doctor to determine the state of a patient's health at that time, it's equally important for the doctor to know what the patient's blood glucose levels have been since the last examination. Now, rather than give the doctor several pages of information at once, the patient can e-mail the results on a weekly or monthly basis. As a result, the doctor can look over this information before examining the patient, have more time to discuss the results with the patient, and partake in a more meaningful, enlightened discussion. While diabetes is a serious health problem, it needn't be a difficult one to manage. With a proper diet and regimen of medication and exercise, as determined by the patient's doctor, the type 1 or type 2 diabetic can lead a relatively normal, healthy life.