If you didn’t know, we had a chance to hang out at the 84th ADA Scientific Sessions this year.
For us, the event wasn’t just about the latest in diabetes care technology (though there was plenty of that). It was about breaking down barriers, so advancements in diabetes care are made accessible to everyone who needs them.
The energy was palpable as experts, healthcare providers, and companies like ours gathered to discuss everything from continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems to AI-driven care and equitable healthcare access.
Here are some key topics that resonated most with us, and what they mean for the future of diabetes care.
Advancements in Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems
One of the hottest topics at the ADA Scientific Sessions was the evolution of CGM technology. We’ve seen tremendous progress in how CGMs are simplifying diabetes management, and this year’s conference offered a peek into where they’re headed. Here are some sessions around that theme that we loved.
- Strategize to Increase Utilization of CGM and Support Primary Care Professionals: We were really excited to hear about this session. Why? Because it focused on how primary care professionals can expand CGM access in underserved communities. As we know, CGMs are life-changing, and this session explored practical ways to ensure more patients benefit from this technology.
- Eversense Long-Term CGM: Supporting Patient Choice to Address Traditional CGM Usage Barriers: CGMs are constantly improving, and this session explored the latest long-term CGM solutions, including innovations like the Eversense CGM, which offers patients a long-term, less invasive option that still provides real-time glucose data.
AI and Digital Health Technologies
Speaking of innovation, artificial intelligence continues to make waves in healthcare, and diabetes management is no exception. Using AI to improve outcomes and make diabetes management easier was a recurring theme throughout the conference:
- How Will Artificial Intelligence Change Diabetes Clinical Practice?: This session explored the possibilities, whether it’s biosimulations to improve clinical trials, more effective automated insulin delivery devices, or data pattern recognition to help data scientists improve modeling. The presenters also pointed out that in clinical applications of AI, it’s important to identify and eliminate biases from the data, so the data has security and
- How Machine-Learning (AI) Can Help Identify Individuals at Risk for Discontinuing CGM Therapy
AI was front and center at the ADA Scientific Sessions, especially in discussions about using machine learning to enhance diabetes care. This session showed how AI could predict patient behavior and recommend personalized interventions to improve adherence to CGM therapy. It’s just the beginning of how digital health can empower both patients and providers.
"The ADA Scientific Sessions really showcased the strides we're making in diabetes technology, especially with continuous glucose monitoring. For us at TMS, it's exciting to see how innovations like long-term CGMs are becoming more accessible, and how AI is helping us support patients more effectively. Our mission is to ensure that these advanced tools are available to everyone who needs them, and the conference only reinforced our commitment to that goal."
— Carlton Bailey, VP of Business Development, TMS
What’s most exciting about these new technologies is how they can help improve access to the care everyone needs.
Equity in Diabetes Care
The ADA conference really drove home one of our core beliefs: Making sure everybody gets the healthcare they need. So many patients still struggle to access life-changing diabetes technologies, and we were thrilled to see that this was a core focus of the sessions this year.
Here are a few sessions that echoed that theme.
- Reduce Inequities in Diabetes Outcomes in Ten Practical Steps: This session was a powerful reminder that practical tools can reduce the disparities in diabetes outcomes. It presented a 10-step framework for closing the gap in healthcare access, particularly in getting more patients onto CGM technology.
- Increasing Continuous Glucose Monitoring Access and Uptake in Community Health Centers: We found this session especially relevant because it highlighted the real-world challenges of providing CGMs to lower-income patients. The presenters discussed strategies for increasing CGM access in community health centers, including addressing cost and education barriers.
"The ADA Scientific Sessions really hit home for me, especially around the topic of making diabetes care more equitable. At TMS, we're always looking for ways to bridge the gap and make sure that people from all walks of life have access to tools like CGMs. Hearing about the latest advancements and strategies to tackle healthcare disparities was so encouraging, and it’s given us fresh ideas on how to continue improving access for our patients."
— Cynthia Britt, Director of CGM, TMS
Special Considerations for Pediatric and Gestational Diabetes
Speaking of equity in healthcare, the conference also touched on unique considerations for smaller subsets of people with diabetes.
Diabetes affects people of all ages. And sessions at the ADA Scientific Sessions emphasized the importance of early intervention and education, especially for pediatric and gestational patients.
- Advocating for CGM Use at Diagnosis in Pediatrics Results in Better A1Cs: We’ve long believed CGMs are a game-changer for every age group, and this session proved it. The data presented showed that introducing CGMs at the time of diagnosis for pediatric patients significantly improves A1C outcomes. It’s always encouraging to see how technology can make managing diabetes easier for kids and their families.
- The Culture CAPABLE Framework for Developing Online CGM Education Materials for Pediatric T2D: Education is key to successful CGM adoption, especially in children. This session introduced educational materials (that kids will actually like) designed to help pediatric patients with type 2 diabetes get comfortable with CGMs, making it easier for them to stick with the technology.
- Optimize GDM Care with Personalized Lifestyle Modification and Use of CGM: This session showcased how CGM technology can play an important role in the care of women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), improving health outcomes for mothers and babies. We’ve been talking about the benefits of CGMs for gestational diabetes, so we loved that this session highlighted that.
The 84th ADA Scientific Sessions didn’t disappoint. Whether it was learning about the latest CGM innovations or discussing how AI and equitable care are shaping the future, there was so much to take away. For us at TMS, the conference reinforced our mission to make life-changing technologies like CGMs accessible for every family, no matter where they live or what challenges they face.
If you’re as excited about these advancements as we are and want to know more about how TMS can help get you or your loved ones started with CGM, feel free to reach out. We’d love to chat.
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