Questions to Ask Your Health Care Professional

When you visit your health care professional to talk about diabetes technology, remember to bring a list of questions you have in mind. Below are some suggestions that cater to various lifestyles and needs related to diabetes technology. Check out our detailed list and choose the questions that matter most to you.

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Measuring and Tracking My Blood Sugar

• What is my target blood sugar (glucose) range before meals?
• What is my target blood sugar range after meals and how long after should I check it?
• What is my hemoglobin A1C?
• What is my target hemoglobin A1C?
• How often should I have my hemoglobin A1C tested?
• What steps can I take to lower my hemoglobin A1C?
• What type of glucose monitor would help me meet my blood sugar goals and best fit my lifestyle?
• If I do finger-prick testing, when and how often should I test my blood?
• What steps can I take to prevent infection in the fingers where I do blood testing?
• Should I consider using a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) to test and track my blood sugar?
• How do I interpret information from a CGM?
• What is my target time-in-range when using a CGM?

Taking Diabetes Medication

• What diabetes medication, if any, should I be taking?
• What do I need to know about taking the medication you're prescribing?
• What are the pros and cons of this medication?
• How often should I take it? What time of day should I take it?
• Should I take it with food or on an empty stomach?
• Should I still take this medication if I don't plan to eat?
• What should I do if I forget to take a dose?
• Does this medication have any common side effects? What are they?
• Will this medication make my blood sugar drop too low? What should I do if I have low blood sugar?
• Will this medication interact with any other medications I take?
• How likely am I to experience side effects? What should I do if I experience side effects?
• How effective is this medication?
• Will I have to have any lab work or testing after I start to take this medication? When will that testing take place? How can I schedule it?
• What impact will this medication have on my blood sugar?
• How long will I have to take this medication?
• What will happen if I stop taking it?
• Is this an oral medication or an injection?
• If it’s injectable, how do I do an injection?
• Do I have to refrigerate this medication?
• Do I need to take a special precautions with this medication when I travel?
• Do I need to stop this medication when I have surgery?
• Does my health insurance cover this medication? What would my copay be?
• What are my alternatives to medication?

Taking Insulin

• How often should I take insulin?
• What types of insulin are available and what are their differences?
• How often should I take insulin?
• How much insulin should I take?
• When is the best time to take my insulin?
• How do I know if I'm taking enough/too much insulin?
• What should I do if my blood sugar drops too low?
• How should I change my insulin injection if I don't plan to eat?
• What steps can I take to prevent infection in my insulin injection sites?
• What type of insulin delivery device(s) do you recommend for me?
• How can I learn more about insulin delivery devices?

Glucose Monitors

• What type of glucose monitor do you recommend for me?
• What are the pros and cons of using this type of glucose monitor? What do other patients like and dislike about it?
• If you recommend a CGM for me, what type do you recommend? Will my health insurance pay for it? What would my co-pay be for the CGM you recommend?
• What additional devices or apps will I need to use the CGM you recommend?
• How will a CGM help me with my blood sugar control?
• How easy is it to use this type of CGM?
• What training will I need to learn how to use this CGM correctly? Who will train me?
• What kind of maintenance is required for the CGM I'm considering?
• What should I do if the CGM device stops working? Whom should I contact?
• Can my CGM go through an airport scanner?

Insulin Pens/Smart (Connected) Pen Caps

• If I need to take insulin, what type of insulin delivery device do you recommend?
• If you recommend an insulin pen, which type(s) do you recommend?
• Is this type of insulin pen disposable and preloaded with insulin, or is it a reusable pen that uses disposable insulin cartridges?
• Can I use my type of insulin with the insulin pen you recommend?
• How will an insulin pen help me with my blood sugar control?
• How will I know when to use an insulin pen and how much insulin to use?
• Will my insurance pay for an insulin pen?
• What would my co-pay be for the insulin pen you recommend?
• How easy is it to use this type of insulin pen?
• What are the pros and cons of this type of insulin pen?
• What type of needles does this type of insulin pen use?
• Are the needles used with this insulin pen covered by my health insurance?
• What would the co-pay be for needles for this insulin pen?
• What are the storage requirements for this type of insulin pen and/or insulin cartridges?
• What do other patients like and dislike about this type of insulin pen?
• What training will I need to learn how to use this insulin pen correctly? Who will train me?
• What additional devices or apps will I need to use the smart insulin pen you recommend?
• Would it be helpful for me to use a smart (connected) pen cap that attaches to an insulin pen and connects wirelessly to a CGM and a smartphone app?
• What are the pros and cons of using a smart pen cap?
• What type of smart pen cap do you recommend?
• Will my health insurance pay for a smart pen cap? What will my co-pay be for a smart pen cap?
• How can I learn more about using a smart pen cap?

Insulin Pumps/Patch Pumps/Hybrid Closed-Loop (Artificial Pancreas) Systems

• If you recommend an insulin pump for me, what type do you recommend?
• Should I consider a patch pump? If so, what type do you recommend?
• Am I a good candidate for a hybrid closed-loop (artificial pancreas) system?
• What are the pros and cons of using an insulin pump, patch pump, or hybrid closed-loop system? What do other patients like and dislike about these devices?
• Will my health insurance pay for these devices? What would my co-pay be for the device you recommend?
• How will the device you recommend help me with my blood sugar control?
• How easy is it to use this type of device?
• Where on my body can I wear the pump you recommend?
• What training will I need to learn how to use this this device correctly? Who will train me?
• What kind of maintenance is required for the device I'm considering?
• What additional devices or apps might I need to get the most from this device?

Inhaled Insulin

• Am I a good candidate for inhaled insulin?
• What are the pros and cons of inhaled insulin? What do other patients like and dislike about inhaled insulin?
• When would I use inhaled insulin?
• Will my health insurance pay for inhaled insulin? What would my co-pay be?

Cell Replacement Therapies

• Am I a good candidate for cell replacement therapy, which transplants insulin-producing pancreatic islet cells from a donor into my pancreas?
• What are the pros and cons of cell replacement therapy?
• If I had cell replacement therapy, would I still need to take insulin?
• How can I learn more about cell replacement therapies?

Meal Planning and Physical Activity

• What changes should I make to my diet and eating habits?
• What is carbohydrate counting, and should I learn to do it?
• Are there alternatives to carb counting?
• Am I eligible for medical nutrition therapy?
• Am I eligible for sessions with a registered dietitian or other health care professional who can help me with meal planning?
• How can I find a registered dietitian or other health care professional who can help me with meal planning?
• What kind of physical activity should I do?
• How much exercise should I do?
• Are there any types of physical activities I should avoid because of my diabetes or other medical conditions?
• What types of exercise lower my blood sugar?
• What types of exercise might make my blood sugar go up?

Diabetes and Weight Management

(Learn more about weight management and weight-management treatment in the AACE Journey for Patients With Obesity.)

• What impact, if any, is my weight having on my diabetes? On my overall health?
• If I'm overweight or obese, what's a healthy goal weight for me?
• What's a realistic goal weight for me in three months? Six months? One year?
• What lifestyle changes, medications, or surgical treatment do you recommend to help me meet my weight-management goals?
• Is weight-management medication an option for me and how long will I have to stay on it? How about bariatric (weight-loss) surgery?

Diabetes Lifestyle Support

• What changes should I make in my everyday life to lower my blood sugar and support my diabetes health?
• Can you provide me with any resources or referrals to help me quit smoking, manage stress, or improve my sleep?
• I'm having trouble sleeping. What do you recommend for improving my sleep? Should I have my sleep issues evaluated?
• Is it possible I have obstructive sleep apnea? How should this be evaluated and treated? Does uncontrolled or controlled obstructive sleep apnea affect my diabetes?
• What resources are available for addressing mental health issues related to diabetes and how can I find a provider who understands diabetes?
• What resources does your practice, my local hospital, or our community offer to support people who are making diabetes-related lifestyle changes?
• Do you have any advice for motivating myself to make lifestyle changes that will help with my blood sugar?
• How can you support me as I make lifestyle changes?

Follow-Up Medical Care

• How often should I see you and the other members of my diabetes care team for follow-up care?
• Should I see any specialists to help me delay or treat diabetes-related complications?
• As someone living with diabetes, how often should I see a dentist? Eye care professional? Cardiologist (heart specialist)? Nephrologist (kidney specialist)? Neurologist (nerve specialist)? Podiatrist (foot specialist), and what symptoms would be cause for concern?
• What steps can I take to protect myself from developing infections?
• If I think I may have an infection, which health care professional should I contact? How soon should I be in touch? Under what circumstances should I seek immediate care?