ABSTRACT
In addition to progress, medical-technological innovations often involve transformations, for example in the conceptualization and experience of disease(s). A historical example is the rise of self-regulation by diabetes patients in the 1970s and 1980s. Textual analysis of Diabc, the monthly magazine of the Diabetes Vereniging Nederland (DVN), shows that the introduction of self-testing and self-regulation was not only very welcome for many DVN members, but also brought about a qualitative change in their views of diabetes and themselves. They continued to present themselves as 'healthy', 'normal' and 'independent', but that was no longer based on their disciplined adherence to prescriptions from doctors and dietitians. They had now become 'professionals' themselves, who practiced 'diabetes as a profession'. Some interesting parallels can be drawn between this historical case and current data-intensive care. This illustrates that historical reflection, by analogical reasoning, can be helpful when questioning current medical-technological developments.
