Connected Pens & Platform Tools: Building Confidence

How Connected Pens & Platforms Help Manage Diabetes

Using a connected pen/platform to share your insulin dosing information, glucose, and other diabetes-related data can be easily done through your smart phone. You download the app associated with your connected pen/platform, connect it to your pen, and then you are able to share your numbers with your diabetes care team.

Here are three examples of how connected pens/platforms have helped individuals living with diabetes.

Alex: "I have had diabetes for 15 years and use 4 injections of insulin each day. I have a busy life and sometimes I forget when I last took my insulin or to take it altogether. Carrying around logbooks and constantly having to write down all the numbers is exhausting."

A connected pen could help ALEX because:

• The app that connects to the pen may have reminders that can be set for insulin doses.
• The previous insulin dose is recorded automatically so she can feel more reassured about the timing of her last dose.
• Some platforms also have the ability to pair (or connect) with a glucose monitor. This means she can automatically record her glucose values and insulin dose in one place.
  

Sam: "I have had diabetes for 20 years. I don’t always feel confident knowing how much carbs are in everything I eat and how to calculate the right dose on the fly. I am afraid that the guess work might drop my glucose too low, so I just underdose sometimes to be safe."

A connected pen platform could help SAM because:

• Many platforms have a built-in calculator in the app that will calculate the meal doses for him so he can be more confident and reassured when determining the mealtime dose.
• Some platforms can keep track of the insulin remaining in his body from the last injection.
• This makes him feel more confident that he won’t be giving himself too much insulin too soon, which lowers his risk for low glucose levels and keeps his post-meal numbers in range.
  

Tracy: "I have had diabetes for 8 years and try to keep my sugars within target range. I check my glucose several times a day and really want feedback from my care team about ways to increase time in my target range. I want to know if a connected pen/platform will help me do that."

A connected pen could help TRACY because:

• She can share her numbers with her diabetes care team directly and securely through the app.
• Her care team can give her feedback at any time, even in between visits.
•  Connected pen/platform devices can be covered by insurance and come with a variety of resources and support to help you use them safely and effectively, including:
  • How-to-videos
  • Customer Service representatives
  • Handouts
  • Online learning tutorials

These are just some of the ways a connected insulin pen/platform can help with managing diabetes on a day-to-day basis. Talk to your care team if you are interested in learning more.