Podcast Summary: Diabetes Connections | Type 1 Diabetes
Episode: “SweetSpot Wants to Turn Diabetes Data Into Better Care”
Host: Stacey Simms
Guest: Jodi Hughes, Director of Diabetes Education and Clinical Services, Sweet Spot
Date: September 16, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode explores Sweet Spot, an innovative platform for integrating data from multiple diabetes devices into one dashboard, paired with proactive support from certified diabetes educators. Host Stacey Simms and guest Jodi Hughes discuss the challenges of diabetes data management, gaps in current clinical care, how Sweet Spot addresses these issues, and what it offers both highly engaged and less-involved patients. The conversation covers insurance coverage, practical patient examples, and how technology is reshaping diabetes care between doctor visits.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Problem: Fragmented Data and Intermittent Care

• Overwhelming Data, Siloed Devices
  • Modern diabetes devices—CGMs, insulin pumps—often don’t easily communicate, leading to scattered data.
  • “Managing diabetes data can feel overwhelming, especially when every device sort of speaks a different language.” (A, 00:05)
• Limited Clinical Touchpoints
  • Most patients only see their endocrinologist a few times a year; limited follow-up between visits.
  • Patients may avoid reaching out between visits, fearing they’re a “burden.”

What is Sweet Spot? [05:15–07:08]

• Unified Platform
  • Aggregates data from major diabetes devices (Medtronic, Tandem, Omnipod, Dexcom, Libre, etc.) into a single interface for providers.
  • “One login to be able to see all of their patient information.” (B, 05:53)
• Clinical Service Layer
  • Certified diabetes educators proactively monitor patient data and reach out between clinical visits.
  • Monthly check-ins, with increased frequency if issues arise.
  • All recommendations are routed via the patient’s provider for oversight.

How Does It Work for Patients? [07:08–11:45]

• Regular Data Review
  • “Typically, yes, someone’s data is looked at every month, so every 30 days. However, it would be looked at more often if there was a clinical, necessary reason...” (B, 08:15)
• Proactive Communication
  • Educators intervene when data flags concerns: lows, highs, missing uploads, abrupt patterns.
  • Contact methods can be tailored: calls, texts, or portal messages, based on patient preference.
• Respect for Autonomy
  • Patients can opt out or set their own preferred levels of contact: “There are also going to also be patients who don’t feel like this is the right fit for them, and that is a-okay as well.” (B, 10:34)

What Works? Outcomes & Success Stories [11:45–15:11]

• Significant Clinical Improvement
  • Clinical studies show a 10% average improvement in time-in-range after 4–6 months, matching gains seen with new CGM or pump adoption.
  • “When you think about that as being almost similar to starting on a new technology for diabetes, it’s really amazing.” (B, 12:54)
• Empowerment Through Support
  • Personalized reach-outs, troubleshooting tech or medication issues, deeper education.
  • “I’ve had patients tell me that they felt like they had a personal diabetes expert in their pocket.” (B, 13:09)
• Real Example:
  • One patient improved their time-in-range from 1% to 57% by working with a Sweet Spot educator, primarily through education and consistent contact. (B, 13:38)

Who Pays For It? [16:22–17:35]

• Insurance Coverage
  • Remote patient monitoring (RPM) is now recognized (CPT codes) and covered by Medicare/most insurance plans.
  • “It’s an insurance benefit. So the codes that we bill or generate through Sweet Spot are insurance covered CPT codes.” (B, 16:22)
  • Underutilized insurance benefit: “It’s really like an underutilized service, I think.” (B, 17:18)

The Educator’s Perspective and Systemic Gaps [17:37–20:21]

• Gaps in the Traditional Model
  • After device training, support often lapses; educators may be unavailable for ongoing help.
  • “So many times even working for the manufacturer... someone starts on an insulin pump and there’s only so much follow up that you’re allowed to do.” (B, 18:23)
  • Sweet Spot aims to bridge the “in-between” visit care gap.
  • Provider oversight ensures any changes are approved for safety and compliance.

How to Access Sweet Spot [21:13–22:56]

• Finding Out If You Qualify
  • Patients should ask their endocrinologist if they use Sweet Spot; if not, they can refer their provider to Sweet Spot’s website.
  • Diabetes educators can also advocate for adopting this insurance-backed RPM model.

Practical Impact: Common Interventions [23:31–25:25]

• Patient Scenarios
  • Example: Patient spending 17% time low had hypoglycemia unawareness, due to medication confusion (mixing long and rapid-acting insulin). A single educator call reduced hypoglycemia to 3%.
  • “After one education call with her, her hypoglycemia dropped to 3% and her confidence soared.” (B, 24:32)
• Frequent Recommendations
  • Medication education, proper device use, carb ratio tweaks.
  • “If someone is having a lot of hyperglycemia... they may need carb ratio adjustments... They may never have had education on how to use an activity feature.” (B, 25:25)

For Highly Engaged Patients [25:50–28:01]

• Added Value for “Expert” Patients
  • Sweet Spot can help fine-tune details, troubleshoot difficult scenarios (travel, sports, illness).
  • “This is really gonna be, like, situational behavior, food, like, really going granular and talking about, like, the nitty gritty.” (B, 26:09)
  • Example: Managing blood sugars on a cruise, with steroid use, or running a marathon.

The Educator’s Reward [28:01–29:53]

• Ongoing Relationship
  • Educators see patient improvement over time, not just brief encounters.
  • “With Sweet Spot, what I have found is it’s like a marathon, not a sprint.” (B, 28:51)
  • Emotional support often as important as medical: “I have definitely had patients share with me... that they lost their job... I also become someone that they feel like they can talk to in that way as well.” (B, 29:28)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Patient Preferences:
  “There are always going to be people who do not want those frequent touch points... That is a-okay as well.” — Jodi Hughes [10:09]
• On Impact:
  “We had a 10% on average improvement in time in range... almost similar to starting on a new technology for diabetes.” — Jodi Hughes [12:36]
• On Insurance:
  “It’s really like an underutilized service, I think.” — Jodi Hughes [17:18]
• On Educator’s Value:
  “It’s very rare that insurance covers or pays for something that really has patients’ best interest at heart.” — Jodi Hughes [22:49]
• On Ongoing Relationship:
  “With Sweet Spot, what I have found is it’s like a marathon, not a sprint.” — Jodi Hughes [28:51]

Important Timestamps

• Main Topic Intro & Problem Framing: 00:05–05:12
• What Sweet Spot Is: 05:15–07:08
• How It Works for Patients: 07:08–11:45
• Clinical Outcomes/Evidence: 11:45–15:11
• Who Pays for It: 16:22–17:35
• Gap in Current Diabetes Care: 17:37–20:26
• Finding/Advocating for Sweet Spot: 21:13–22:56
• Real Patient Example & Typical Advice: 23:31–25:25
• For Highly Engaged Patients: 25:50–28:01
• Why Educator Work is Rewarding: 28:01–29:53

Tone & Style

The episode is conversational, empathetic, and practical—balancing deep knowledge with real-world parenting and patient experiences. Both host and guest are candid about challenges in diabetes care and pragmatic about what can (and cannot) be solved by technology and support.

For more info: Visit diabetes-connections.com or search for Sweet Spot to learn more about how this service may benefit individuals and practices.