What to Know about Your Diabetes Clinic Visit
Common questions
What's in the clinic?
- Education rooms: where you get information about diabetes and how to take care of yourself
- Exam rooms: where you meet the doctor or nurse during your visit
- Classroom: where you go for group education classes
- Child life room: where you go for education and activities to help you cope with having diabetes
- Waiting area: our large waiting area has a fish tank, teen magazines, children's books, and toys
What should we bring to the clinic?
- Blood sugar meter
- Log sheet or log book
- New patient notebook
- Snack
- Child's comfort item
What will be done at the clinic?
- Weight
- Height
- Blood pressure
- Hemoglobin A1C
Can siblings come to the clinic?
Siblings may come to the clinic to learn about diabetes. They can see where their brother or sister comes for a check-up.
Who will we meet in the clinic?
We have a team of health care providers specially trained in caring for children with diabetes.
Your clinic visit plan
Visit 1: Diagnosis
You may be seen in the hospital or the diabetes clinic. You will see a doctor and a nurse educator. You may also see the social worker and child life specialist.
Visit 2: Five to 10 days after diagnosis
About five to 10 days later, in the diabetes clinic, you will see a nurse practitioner and dietitian. You may also see the social worker and child life specialist.
Visit 3: One to three weeks after diagnosis
In visits 3 and 4, you will go to a group class, if you are five or older. One-on-one teaching will be provided for children aged four and under, and as needed for those of any age.
Group Class 1 (at your third visit) meets Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. to noon.
Up to five families will meet with a nurse educator, dietitian, social worker, and child life specialist.
A TrialNet researcher will provide information about having family members of those with type 1 diabetes screened for their risk of developing diabetes.
You will learn about taking care of high and low blood sugars, managing your diabetes when you are sick, matching insulin to the food you eat, and coping with diabetes.
Visit 4: About one to three weeks after your first class
Group Class 2 (at your fourth visit) meets Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to noon
At Group Class 2, you will learn how diabetes fits into your day-to-day activities. You will also learn how to solve problems, set goals, and adjust your insulin. This visit finishes the group classes.
Visit 5: Last visit of education program
In this last visit, we will go over everything that you have learned about diabetes. Your first hemoglobin A1C will be checked during this visit. You will have a check-up with either your doctor or a nurse practitioner. You will also meet with the dietitian and nurse educator.
Ongoing care
Every three months you will alternate between your doctor and your nurse practitioner for follow-up care. A hemoglobin A1C will be done at each visit. Other tests will be done, as needed.
Between-visit contact
You can contact a doctor or nurse between visits by phone or on the internet by visiting My Health at Vanderbilt. You can sign up for this service at the clinic. During regular business hours, a diabetes educator is dedicated to phone duty. Please try to contact our office at (615) 322-7842 during regular business hours for routine needs such as dose adjustments, questions or concerns about prescriptions, or form completion.