New York may begin tracking diabetes patients

Dr. Paul Simon of Los Angeles County’s public health department, said other big cities could follow New York’s lead.

“Some people are uncomfortable with public health departments expanding their scope beyond infectious disease, but I would say we have to do it,” he said. “Chronic disease really accounts for the major portion of years of life lost to illness, these days.”

A violation of privacy?
New York’s program would involve collecting the results of A1c tests, which indicate blood glucose control over a few months, unlike the daily glucose tests diabetics give themselves. The A1c test is given for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, the latter linked to obesity and accounting for about 90 percent of American diabetics. The program would cost between $1 million and $2 million a year, the health department said.

Dr. Amy Fairchild, an expert on public health ethics at Columbia University, said disease monitoring programs have historically been able to overcome privacy worries if the health threat is sufficiently frightening.

“We respond with surveillance when we believe something has reached epidemic proportions,” Fairchild said. “And this may fit the profile. Have we become a nation of obese people who are all going to get diabetes?”

The program’s success, she said, may depend partly on how patients respond. “It’s not necessarily that someone has that information. It’s that they’re pestering you. 'The next thing I know, you’ll be telling me what I can and can’t eat,”’ she said.

Nationally, diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It afflicts about 18.2 million Americans.

Sandye Poitier-Johnson, 57, a public school principal in Harlem who was diagnosed with diabetes a few years ago, said most people could use help monitoring their condition.

“People say, diabetes is serious, but they don’t take it seriously,” she said. “I wouldn’t think that this was Big Brother or Big Sister watching me. I would welcome the help.”

She urged the city, though, to get patient consent first. “There is enough privacy invasion already in our society,” she said.

MORE FROM DIABETES

Diabetes Section Front

Diabetes can be delayed with diet, exercise Diabetes drug helps obese adults loss weight Long-acting insulin boosts diabetes care Chinese herbs may help prevent diabetes Sidewalks and parks can cut diabetes risk Walking may help control diabetes Treating mild diabetes during pregnancy helps 9 ways to trim costs related to diabetes 12 ways to ward off diabetes Most diabetics have unhealthy eating habits Diabetes Section Front   Add Diabetes headlines to your news reader: