From the Community: Feedback sessions with our Medtronic 630G, 640G, and 670G beta testers
Last month Tidepool launched full support for Medtronic MiniMed 630G, 640G, and 670G. Part of our work to bring this new feature to the diabetes community involved a lot of testing with people with diabetes wearing 630G, 640G, or 670G.
Once all of our work together was complete, I followed up with some of our beta testers to get some feedback on their Tidepool experience.
Tidepool: How does seeing your data in Tidepool affect your attitude towards diabetes?
Beta testers: Data access gives people with diabetes a sense of confidence and control. Tidepool is simple to follow and gives users helpful information that makes their lives less stressful.
Seeing my data all in one place helps me be more confident in adjusting my carb ratios as I have all of the data from my Dexcom and my Medtronic pump in one place for the first time ever!
When I look over my data sheet in Tidepool I have a sense of reaffirmation that buoys me in trying to control this disease. I find it very renewing.
I’ve always sought to know as much as possible about my diabetes and how the various treatments I’ve received act upon it. More info = more power. I like very much the way in which Tidepool presents the information and I’m looking forward to seeing how third parties will use the data.
The clear simplicity of the Daily display shows everything at a glance - BG, carbs, bolus, and basal insulins. Hovering over any item (such as a dual-wave bolus) shows all the details.
It's so helpful to see your daily trend data overlaid in a graphic that lets you see and interact with that data hour to hour. I love that I can see what my data range is hour to hour, and see if problems are revealed. [Tidepool] gives all of us more control over how we use our data to monitor our progress and make necessary adjustments.
I think many people would agree that knowledge and information can be very powerful, and I don't think this is any different when it comes to the data detailing my diabetes management. Tidepool offers innovative and effective ways to visualize data and trends that empowers me to make informed decisions in the pursuit of better control to lead a better life.
Diabetes still sucks. However, every marginal gain that takes a fraction of stress (even stress you didn't know you had) off the daily grind is a significant improvement.
Tidepool: How does seeing your data in Tidepool affect your attitude towards your diabetes technology?
Beta testers: Seeing their individualized data in Tidepool gives people with diabetes a sense of optimism, liberation and reassurance.
The data sheet reminds me frequently of how much modern technology can simplify our daily work. I often think back to the early days with my pump, say 1980 and 1981 when we kept homemade log books in personal notebooks. I struggled with trying to find a way to show just how well my pump was helping me so that the diabetes medical community could endorse this new approach to care.
It is allowing me to set the pump parameters better. It makes the CGM data I've been collecting every day for ten years even more useful.
Seeing your data in this way allows you to actually USE your data to effect changes in your treatment - that's priceless! It increases the value of CGM, Auto Mode, and other emerging technologies and puts their use back in the hands of the user.
Services like Tidepool make me optimistic because of how smoothly they interact with such a wide variety of diabetes devices. It's reassuring to know that I could go switch pumps and meters right now and there would still be a way for me to get my data into the familiar environment that Tidepool provides.
One small step for tech, one great step for pumpers. It is very liberating to get my data to a place where I believe it will benefit me more.
Tidepool: What aspects of the uploading process worked well or made your life easier?
Beta testers: People with diabetes find the uploading process fast and easy, providing much-needed access to their own data.
With Tidepool Uploader, it is just a case of launching the app by hitting one button. Easy.
The quick, simple, recurring setup process for upload is very handy. Makes me want to fit it into my daily routine.
The ultra-fast (presumably incremental) upload from the pump, along with the fact that it works every time is a real pleasure, and makes me more inclined to do uploads more than once a week (for example when a day has been unusual).
Being able to upload directly from my pump rather than going through Carelink is huge - quick, easy, and gives me access to MY data in my way. I shouldn't have to jump through hoops to use data that I own.
It's easy to use, has subtle quality-of-life improvements such as a sound effect when done that make it much more convenient to use.
Fast and effortless.
Tidepool: Do you think using Tidepool in your everyday life will alter your approach to diabetes management? Why or why not?
Beta testers: Yes! Tidepool motivates people with diabetes and allows them to monitor, assess and adjust their diabetes management more effectively.
Yes. It will allow me to make more regular adjustments to my basal rates and carb ratios due to the simple way I can see all of my data in the same place. Previously I had to spend a lot of time trying to work out these numbers for two different reporting systems which was a lot more effort.
I believe that frequent updates to Tidepool will motivate me in my attempts to improve my “time in range” statistic, which is key to good control.
Yes. In addition, if other patients use it to combine data from their pumps with BG data from Dexcom or Libre sensors, then we can compare information readily. I don't know whether clinics will encourage patients to use Tidepool [Editor’s Note: They do! Tidepool is free for clinicians, too!] but if they did it would make the jobs of the endocrinologists, nurses, nurse practitioners, and dietitians much simpler.
It's one more tool to monitor, assess, and adjust my diabetes management. Given the ease of use and well-designed graphics, it will be one of my "go-to" tools going forward.
I don't expect Tidepool to drastically impact my diabetes management because I already approach it with a mindset of constant improvement and making informed decisions. With that said, I do expect Tidepool to help me in those endeavors.
Definitely. The graphic representation of glucose and basal levels helps me look at how my control is working. I can see much more information in the Tidepool data than the static reports of Carelink, which I still find difficult.I believe that using technology to integrate different aspects of our life has incredible potential. Blood glucose and insulin are only one aspect of our life and disease. Calorie intake and calorie expenditure/exercise play more than a minor role, but we are so accustomed to having these data separate we don't realize how much they need to be combined.The more Tidepool and other technologies can integrate data, the more I think there will be great insights. The possibility of combining T1D data with other data is very exciting to me.
