The diabetic’s paradox: Why self-monitoring is the worst medical idea ever

In the 1970s, a major change in diabetic medical care came about when patients were encouraged to self-monitor their condition. The ideas was to have them spend less time at doctors’ offices, and give them a sense of empowerment in the treatment of their disease. Today, self-monitoring is being recommended for a host of other conditions, from heart disease to mood disorders. Only there’s a teensy, weensy problem: diabetics hate, hate, hate monitoring their conditions, leading to depression and other complications.