Aurukun resident Stephen Deemal gets his blood glucose measured by TCHHS diabetes educator Lynda Marshall as part of a project currently under way on Cape York. Photo: Supplied.
A finger-prick-free blood glucose monitoring project for people with diabetes is under way in Cape York communities.
Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service (TCHHS) diabetes educators Lynda Marshall and Alex Rayner said the project aimed to encourage a deeper understanding of how a person’s day-to-day food choices, activity levels, taking or missing medication, stress and sleep impacted on their health.
Eighty-two Cape York residents are currently participating in the project and Ms Marshall said it was providing a painless way to learn more about managing diabetes, especially in a remote community.
“We would hope that, as a result of this, they will see that small changes to healthier swaps can make a big difference to their diabetes management,’’ she said.
“Previously, people with diabetes had to prick their finger multiple times a day to see what their glucose level was, and this would just provide a snapshot of the level at that exact moment.
“The finger-prick test wouldn’t tell the person with diabetes if that glucose level was climbing or dropping – multiple pricks a day were required to understand what was happening across the day.”
By utilising a continuous glucose monitoring device, a sensor can be inserted just under the skin with a sticky patch, negating the need for multiple daily finger pricks.
Weipa Hospital rural generalist Dr Emily McLeod said continuous glucose monitoring could be a convenient and effective adjunct for people living with diabetes.
“In my practice, I’ve found it particularly useful for people on insulin who are struggling to complete their monitoring with finger pricks,’’ she said.
“Using this, in combination with health care support, we hope to empower people in Cape York communities with diabetes and prediabetes to improve their health.”
Aurukun resident Stephen Deemal said the project had made a big difference in the way he managed his diabetes.
“It’s way better than before; there’s no more pain on the finger,’’ he explained.
“You get a reading straight away, and you can make immediate adjustments to your diet or medication as needed.’’
In addition to Aurukun, the project is also being run in Coen, Hope Vale, Wujal Wujal, Kowanyama, Pormpuraaw and Lockhart River.
