Faculty

Elizabeth Davis

New technology in diabetes management

100 years from the discovery of insulin it is timely to stop and consider the considerable advances in care for children and adolescents living with diabetes. The advances in technology have improved not only the lives of young people living with diabetes but also the workplace of health care professionals caring for them.

From the patient’s perspective the main technological advances have been in blood glucose monitoring, new methods of insulin delivery, online advisors and apps. The pump technology has increased in functionality, improved user experience and increasingly been tested in niche groups such as the very young.

For the health care professional there has been a steep increase in the learning needed to support young people using these new technologies. Together with this, HCPs have had to upskill in the new reporting software, advisors and in some cases the technology that supportsdatabases that facilitate benchmarking and

The region represented by APPES has a broad range in both the penetration and the choice of
technologies. This presentation will review the latest technology in paediatric diabetes care for blood glucose monitoring, insulin delivery, closed loop systems and DIY , but also focus on practical suggestions of how to integrate the education and management of constantly changing technology into clinical services.

Exercise in Diabetes – new insights

Activity requirements for children and adolescents with diabetes are the same as for those without diabetes. Meeting the physical activity recommendations helps to improve glycaemic control, reduce cardiovascular risk and support a better sense of wellbeing. However, there are a number of factors which make achieving adequate levels of exercise challenging for people living with diabetes.

Health care professionals (HCP) can assist young people living with diabetes to optimise their activity levels by having a good understanding of both the physiology and the complexities of exercise and diabetes. There are a number of barriers to exercising successfully including fear of hypoglycaemia, the varying impact on BGL with different types of exercise, the challenges of carbohydrate intake, timely insulin adjustment, and what BGL is best to maximise performance. Furthermore, many school environments and sports coaches are inadequately equipped to support children with diabetes to exercise safely and optimally.

Some of the burden of these challenges with exercise have been reduced with technologies such as pumps and CGM, but these are not available to all children living with diabetes and it is important the HCP can assist to develop a safe and effective exercise plan.

This presentation will aim to increase the confidence and knowledge of HCP assisting children living with diabetes to increase their activity safely and effectively.

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