Testimonial: John’s Story

“I found the Welldoc App quite easy. I’m really happy to have an [app] that works with everything.”

Meet John, 73, of Portland, Oregon. Despite a family history of diabetes and general knowledge of the condition, John did not find managing his own health after his diagnosis to be as seamless as he’d hoped. Reflecting on his journey, he admits, “Unfortunately when you know a little, it could be very dangerous because you think you know it all.”

Initially, John struggled with his diabetes because he lacked a proper system for tracking his medication and blood glucose levels. However, in 2018, his dietician referred him to the Welldoc* App, which he eagerly embraced. As a former data scientist, John understood the importance of accurate data and how it can help you make better decisions.

Referring to his former profession, he explained, “In data processing, we had a saying, ‘Garbage in and garbage out.’ If you [input] garbage [data], it’s only [going to] give you back garbage [information]. However, if I have good numbers and I can keep a good record and tell my physician what’s going on – he’ll have a better chance of [making better treatment decisions] to help me go the right way.”

John now relies on the medication feature, food diary, and blood glucose monitor syncing functionality of the Welldoc App to help him navigate daily life as an individual living with diabetes. Thanks to his data-driven background and approach, he looks forward to sharing his monthly health report with his care team, which includes his endocrinologist, eye specialist, podiatrist, dietician and pharmacist.

“I enjoy logging and I enjoy data, so this helps me track everything. You need to have a handle on what you’re doing both physically and emotionally to know what’s going on – so you can let your physician know,” explains John. “[In particular, my pharmacist] raved about how [this] information was so useful to him …and I was glad that I could share that with him.”

Thanks to the Welldoc App, John now better manages his diabetes and has the time to focus on his three favorite things – church, judo and playing the online game, World of Warcraft. “I found the Welldoc App quite easy,” he said. “I’m really happy to have an [app] that works with everything.”**

Learn more about the Welldoc platform for multiple chronic conditions, comorbidities and health needs.