En Route to RED and ADS-ADEA 2017

It’s a busy week in diabetes.

Today I’m at the Roche Educator’s Day (RED) in Perth, which is a day specifically for Diabetes Educators held annually on the day prior to the ADS-ADEA Annual Scientific Meeting.


The reason I’m here? I’ll be speaking in the final session of the day, which is the People With Diabetes Panel Discussion, kicking off at 4pm WST. I am told that this is the first year that there will be a session driven by consumers, as a result of feedback from attendees at previous events. What better way for Diabetes Educators to learn than gaining insights from actual people who have diabetes?

I’m live tweeting using #RED2017 on Twitter, so be sure to follow along for live updates from myself and other attendees.

Then from tomorrow through until Friday, the Australian Diabetes Society (ADS) and the Australian Diabetes Educator’s Association (ADEA) are holding their joint annual scientific meeting right here in Perth. The conference brings together diabetes healthcare professionals, researchers and people working in the diabetes industry.

This is the part where I give everyone gaping looks and say “you travelled all the way from Melbourne?!”

Obviously I had been eyeing the ADS-ADEA event this year, given that it was being hosted right here in my hometown of Perth. However given the cost of registration, there was no way that I could justify going.

So I was absolutely honoured when Diabetes Australia asked if I would be interested in being part of their media team at this year’s event, alongside these three amazing diabetes advocates:

Melinda of Twice Diabetes / @MelindaSeedT1D

Ashley of Bittersweet Diagnosis / @Health4Diabetes

Renza of Diabetogenic / @RenzaS

The idea is that we will be providing a voice from the community, for the community, and hopefully lead the push for greater consumer involvement at future diabetes conferences. 

We will be live tweeting out of the sessions using the hashtags #DAPeoplesVoice and #ADSADEA2017 on Twitter, and packaging updates for Diabetes Australia’s Facebook page. Of course, in the weeks to come, there’s a good chance we’ll have lots to say through our blogs as well…

I really do thank Diabetes Australia for making this initiative happen, and hopefully this is only a bridge towards larger consumer involvement at future diabetes events.

Disclosures: Roche Diabetes Care Australia have covered my registration and travel costs to attend Roche Educator’s Day. I am also being paid an Honoraria for my giving up my time to speak in the People With Diabetes panel discussion. There is no expectation that my participation will bind me to a particular view of Roche, nor is there any expectation that I will blog or Tweet about the event.

Diabetes Australia have provided me with a media pass to attend the ADS-ADEA conference from Wednesday through until Friday, with the view that I am interested in attending and delivering my own honest insights to the wider diabetes community. Indeed I am!

FreeStyle Libre: Questions and Answers from #DX2Melbourne

I’m back home today after a whirlwind two days spent at Abbott’s Diabetes Exchange event in Melbourne. The event was filled with such insightful and stimulating conversation, that my mind was still buzzing at 11.20pm last night when I finally crawled into bed at home.

Abbott covered my travel expenses from Perth to be there, but they did not pay for my opinions here or anywhere else. I am really grateful that Abbott are continuing these consumer conversations after last year’s DX2Sydney event, when they clearly didn’t need to. Perhaps my views are biased because I was a part of these conversations, but I am really enthusiastic about the FreeStyle Libre. My experience with it has been largely positive, and it continues to be a part time member of my diabetes toolbox.

It was fantastic to hear the Abbott team acknowledge and even encourage those little tips and tricks that people out there are already doing, even if they couldn’t technically endorse them. Like letting the sensor sit for a day after application before starting it up. Or the Rockadex patches and other adhesives that people are buying from small businesses online. I loved that they were somewhat aware of what people are doing out there in the real world.

Through my blog, through e-mails and through my circles here in Perth, I have received a great deal of feedback on the FreeStyle Libre. People either love it or hate it. Today, I thought i’d start by sharing some of the feedback I received from Abbott over the past two days. While I’m doing my best to relay what I heard and talked about, I can’t guarantee that these words are 100% accurate.

External adhesives.

Hands up if you’ve had a sensor fall off? During the days of warm weather, t-shirts and outdoor activities, that sensor is simply not sticky enough for me. Jessica Shi, Abbott’s QA and RA Manager, tells me that any external adhesive needs to be of medical grade in order for it to be officially endorsed.

Inaccuracy of the sensor when levels are high.

Ever had the Libre tell you that your blood sugar was 18mmol, while a fingerstick gave you a reading of 13mmol? There was definitely a conscensus among the room that some of us had difficulty trusting the sensor at times.

Bruce Passingham, Abbott’s Scientific Affairs Manager, told us he’s interested in hearing about each individual’s circumstances. There might be other conditions or medications that could be affecting results. He also touched on hydration as well, which is a no brainer for me when my levels are a little stubborn.

The biggest takeaway here is to make sure you call customer service. I am so surprised at the number of people who tell me that they haven’t bothered to. All of my issues have been resolved through customer service, and a few bloggers in the room praised the express shipping of replacement sensors.

When will we see the Libre funded by the Australian government?

Earlier this year, the Department of Health was seeking submissions from consumers to potentially get the FreeStyle Libre funded through the National Diabetes Services Scheme. It’s currently a bit of a watch this space…

Are there any plans to add alarms to alert users of dropping blood glucose levels?

In reference to the likes of Dexcom and Medtronic, Abbott have reminded us that their product is not a Continuous Glucose Monitor. It is a replacement for finger sticks.

How many people will an automated insulin delivery system actually reach?

Recent headlines out of the US have surrounded the partnership between Abbott and Bigfoot Biomedical, makers of an automated insulin delivery system. “Next generation” FreeStyle Libre sensors will supply glucose data, which Bigfoot’s system will use to automatically deliver insulin and regulate glucose levels.

My question to the team was around how many people the end product will actually reach. I was told that this next-gen Libre sensor can also be paired with a Bluetooth enabled insulin pen, which will provide smart dosing advice for those on Multiple Daily Injections. Abbott expect that their product will reach a greater number of people through the options for people with type 1 on Multiple Daily Injections, and those with type 2 diabetes.

Obviously, don’t expect to see anything like this to hit Australian shores for a long, long time…

This doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of a very stimulating two days of diabetes conversation, and I’ll have more to follow in the coming days. You can also keep an eye on these bloggers who were in attendance, for their perspectives on the event.

Further disclosures: Abbott supplied me with a new FreeStyle Libre reader, two sensors, and a lovely goodie bag with some pens, paper and a few other bits of branded stationery. I was put up in a room at the Blackman Hotel in Melbourne for one night. I was also fed and watered across the duration of the event.