We had a great time at ADCES 2024!
If you were there, you’ll know we had tons of fun hiding plush ducks around the conference (did you find one?) and chatting with people about the importance of getting CGMs into the hands of those who need them.
But the best part was hearing about the incredible topics being discussed. Whether they were talking about new technology (hi, AI!) or improving access and ease when it comes to existing care options, diabetes educators were excited about making life easier for patients like you. Here’s a snapshot of what you can look forward to!
Key Themes and Hot Topics at ADCES 2024
It’s exciting to see how dramatically diabetes care can change year-to-year. Here are a few of the hot topics from this year. (If you want to see what all the sessions covered, this link brings you to the different categories to browse.)
AI in Diabetes Care
Lots of sessions covered AI and how it’s changing the face of diabetes management.
We especially liked hearing about “How Machine Learning (AI) Can Help Identify Individuals at Risk for Discontinuing CGM Therapy.” We know how life-changing a CGM can be for people with diabetes, and Connie Chitwood-Vu’s insights on using AI tools to predict patient behavior and personalize interventions to get them to keep using their CGMs were incredibly interesting.
Another session we were excited about was “Explore the Power and Challenges of AI: The Future of Diabetes Care and Education.” In this session, Clipper F. Young and Janice MacLeod talked about how AI can provide personalized help with diabetes care using tools like meal planning, exercise recommendations, and self-management platforms. The presenters made a point that AI should enhance, not replace, the human touch in diabetes management, opening up some exciting possibilities on how AI could help you and your care team.
Read more: How to Read Your CGM Data
Expanding Access to Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs)
Another big theme at the conference was how to expand access to CGMs to more people.
And for us, that was preaching to the choir. Getting CGMs to those who need them has been our mission for a long time.
So, sessions like "Strategize to Increase Utilization of CGM and Support Primary Care Professionals" by Dana Ingebretson and "Learn Lessons About CGM Implementation in Primary Care: The PREPARE 4 CGM Study" by Sean M. Oser made us jump for joy. It’s always nice to see the medical community validate what we do.
"The ADCES conference was such a great opportunity to see how continuous glucose monitoring is really making a difference. What stood out to me was how the focus wasn’t just on the technology itself, but also on the importance of making sure everyone can access it. In my work, I see firsthand the barriers people face with insurance and coverage, so it was encouraging to hear that we’re all working toward the same goal."
— Cynthia Britt, Patient Care Coordinator, TMS
CGM in Pediatric Care
We’ve always believed that CGMs are for everyone. So, we loved seeing how they can benefit different populations. Sessions like "Advocating for CGM Use at Diagnosis in Pediatrics Results in Better A1Cs" by Steven Zortman were incredibly useful in this area, showing how early use of CGMs in kids with diabetes can be a huge game changer. Children as young as 2 can use them to monitor their blood glucose levels and start to learn how to manage their diabetes. Kids using CGMs can also easily share the data with you, their care team, the school nurse, and anybody else involved in their care.
CGM Innovations
One thing we love about CGMs is that they’re always improving, becoming easier for patients to use, and offering more features to help patients stay on top of their diabetes.
So, we were thrilled to see product demos of the Dexcom G7 and learn about all the cool features of this small, discreet CGM. We’re proud to offer our customers this product, so hearing the buzz about it was one of the highlights of the conference.
"Catching up with everyone at the conference was an eye-opener. It’s always great to see the latest advancements in CGM technology, but what really hit home was how focused everyone is on improving access and equity. That’s a big part of what we do at TMS."
— Carlton Bailey, VP of Business Development, TMS
There were so many more amazing sessions, but we don’t have time (or space) to call them all out here. (Again, if you’re interested, you can see more about the sessions on the event’s web site.) But it’s safe to say diabetes educators, medical professionals, and others share our passion for making it easier for folks with the disease to live full, healthy lives. We can’t wait for next year’s event!
Want to learn more about getting a CGM covered by insurance?
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