The Whole-Person Approach to Diabetes Care

Transcript Generated by AI.

Announcement: 0:00

Welcome to MedEvidence, where we help you navigate the truth behind medical research with unbiased, evidence-proven facts Hosted by cardiologist and top medical researcher, Dr Michael Koren.

Dr. Michael Koren: 0:11

Hello, I'm Dr. Michael Koren, the executive editor of MedEvidence! I have a really neat opportunity today to speak with Laverne Dowell, who is an advanced registered nurse practitioner who's been practicing here in Jacksonville for a number of years and is really interested in research. So, laverne, tell us a little bit about yourself and then tell us why you're interested in research for your patients.

Laverne Dowell, ARNP: 0:35

Well, it's very important that we have diversity in research. So my interest is because in the past, research was geared more to one side of the population, and today my interest is that we are more diverse. You know, for example, maybe a medication for high blood pressure. It's important to know that medication works for all types of people, not for only one side of our population.

Dr. Michael Koren: 1:05

Exactly. I think it's so important because you don't always know if something will work in men and women equally, in blacks and whites equally, people of different ages. And the only way to figure that out is getting everybody involved.

Laverne Dowell, ARNP: 1:17

Correct!

Dr. Michael Koren: 1:18

And you're really interested in diabetes, so tell us a little bit about that.

Laverne Dowell, ARNP: 1:22

So diabetes has been my passion for many, many, many years. I started looking into that when my mother-in-law was diagnosed with diabetes and the first thing they told her was that her A1C was elevated and they brought her in to give her the result and they told her that she was a diabetic. And just using that word really scares people. So, as a provider, I went into diabetes because I wanted to deliver that message in a very careful and concise manner, not scaring people, because when you look at someone and you say you're diabetic, it can be, thought of like a shame situation.

Laverne Dowell, ARNP: 2:07

So, as a provider, I don't want to shame people. I want to deliver a message, a chronic disease message, whether or not it's diabetes or lupus or any other chronic disease, in a manner that is sensitive towards that client.

Dr. Michael Koren: 2:22

Well, I think that's super important. Now for treating diabetes. There's a lot of elements to it. There are lifestyle elements to it, and then there are medications. So how would you approach your patients to help them understand that both are important?

Laverne Dowell, ARNP: 2:36

Well, first of all, every patient is individualized. We might have a patient with diabetes that weigh 400 pounds. We might have a patient with diabetes that weigh 125 pounds. So teaching them about nutrition is very important, but we have to know is it for weight loss or is it for maintenance, or maybe it's simple. Metformin will work for one patient, but it will not work for another patient. So that's very important learning about your patient and their individual needs.

Dr. Michael Koren: 3:08

So I have a question for you. I know that you take a very hands-on approach to your patients, so why don't you explain to folks what are the advantages to working with you and your concierge practice?

Laverne Dowell, ARNP: 3:22

Correct. Thank you for asking that question. So I am a specialist in regard to diabetes, but also I do mental health. And I do believe that mental health plays a big, big role in taking care of yourself, whether or not nutritionally, or whether or not taking your medication or even going to your doctor. At my practice, however, we don't treat one part of the client. We treat the whole entire client.

Dr. Michael Koren: 3:54

That's so important. Yeah, absolutely. Well, thank you so much for being part of MedEvidence! Best of luck with your practice and we look forward to working with you in research.

Laverne Dowell, ARNP: 4:02

Thank you very much.

Announcement: 4:04

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