• Fresh Views

    Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting Preview

    July 28, 2021

    We hope your summer has been going well! We’ve been busy with work and spending time with family.  Here @AFreshPOVforYo we are getting excited for the upcoming ADCES21 Virtual conference. For those of you that are attending, we have highlighted 13 presentations that are interesting to us and align with our thinking around behavior change, person-centered care, use of language, and of course use of technology.  While there are many, many more sessions we plan to join, we are showcasing just a few!

    We hope you’ll attend our session on Saturday 8/14/21 at 3:15 pm CT, S30 – Adopt A Fresh Point of View: A Solution-Focused Approach to the ADCES7 Self-Care Behaviors™.  We presented two years ago at #AADE19 and shared an overview of what a solution-focused approach is all about. This year we’ll go a little farther and address the ADCES7 self-care behaviors. We’ll be sharing more info about our program in two weeks, so stay tuned for that!

    While we wish we were connecting with our colleagues in person this August, we appreciate the great program put together virtually. We’re crossing our fingers that we’ll be grabbing a coffee or a glass of wine at ADCES22 in Baltimore next year!

    Enjoy the meeting if you’re attending! We’ll share some of our thoughts about the meeting in a future post. We’ll also be Tweeting during the conference to share some pertinent information!

    T02 – Help People With Diabetes Shift Their Mindset and Change Their Approach to Self-Care Behaviors

    Mark Heyman, PhD, CDCES

    Thursday 8/12/21 10:35-11:05 am 

    In this session, presenters will show a framework for how diabetes care and education specialists can empower people with diabetes to take a new relationship approach to change their entire emotional experience with diabetes to improve self-care behaviors.

    Learning Objectives:

    At the completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

    • Describe a framework for empowering people with diabetes to change their emotional experience with diabetes
    • Describe how different types of relationships with diabetes impacts psychosocial and emotional functioning
    • Utilize practical tools to help people change their relationship with diabetes

    T10 – Achieve Better Outcomes by Using Individually Customized Messages

    Marlisa Brown, MS, RDN, CDCES, CDN

    Thursday, August 12, 2021

     12:45 PM – 1:15 PM

    This session will discuss how to achieve better results by combining smart goals, virtual programs, motivational interviewing, coaching, stages of change and behavioral strategies with customized messages designed individually to improve outcomes.

    Learning Objectives:

    At the completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

    • Combine behavior change techniques with customized messaging designed to improve individual outcomes
    • Embrace fears and help an individual to overcome barriers
    • Identify a starting point and build an action plan

    T17 – Collaborative Psychosocial Care for Youth With Diabetes

    Korey Hood, PhD

     Thursday, August 12, 2021

    1:20 PM – 1:50 PM

    Psychosocial care for youth with diabetes presents challenges for the care team. This presentation will cover engagement and treatment strategies that optimize diabetes care in youth and collaborative care provided by diabetes care and education specialists and mental health professionals.

    Learning Objectives:

    At the completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

    • Identify psychosocial care opportunities in youth with diabetes
    • Select validated surveys and screening formats for identifying psychosocial issues in youth with diabetes
    • Adopt concrete strategies to help youth with diabetes

    T18 – Language in Diabetes Care From a Personal and Professional Perspective

    Lauren Plunkett, RDN, LD, CDCES

     Thursday, August 12, 2021

    1:20 PM – 1:50 PM

     Living with a disease that focuses on numerical values and patterns can be physically and mentally exhausting. Presenters will examine statements that trigger sensitive emotions and how to replace them with optimistic, inspirational coaching.

    Learning Objectives:

    At the completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

    • Collaborate with individuals to understand how they approach management of their diabetes
    • Articulate optimistic coaching methods to encourage individuals to live in partnership with diabetes
    • Reframe the standard clinical approach to a perspective that focuses on the individual experience

    T27 – Diabetes Stigma: Causes and Consequences for the Concerned Clinician

    Lauren B. Beach, JD, PhD

     Thursday, August 12, 2021

    3:25 PM – 3:55 PM

     In this session, participants will learn how diabetes stigma at individual, interpersonal and structural levels intersect and can compound other forms of social marginalization, contributing to health disparities and poorer outcomes.

    Learning Objectives:

    At the completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

    • Define diabetes stigma and name at least four dimensions of stigma
    • Name pathways by which diabetes stigma is associated with medication taking among people with diabetes
    • Promote diabetes pride in your practice and across the interdisciplinary diabetes care team

    F04 – Too Good? The Potential Dangers of Perfectionism in Diabetes

    Kersti Spjut, PhD

    Alexis Skelley, LISW-CP, LCSW, CDCES

     Friday August 13, 2021

    10:05 AM – 10:35 AM

     This session will provide ways to recognize signs of unhealthy perfectionism in diabetes management, its medical and emotional risks, and tangible steps for helping individuals become more flexible, mindful and compassionate approach.

    Learning Objectives:

    At the completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

    • Explain how perfectionism exhibits in diabetes management
    • List possible consequences of perfectionism in people with diabetes
    • Utilize strategies for preventing perfectionism pitfalls among people with diabetes

    F17 – Practical Approaches for Addressing Behavioral Health Needs

    Nicole Bereolos, PhD, MPH, MSCP, CDCES, FADCES

    Friday, August 13, 2021

    12:40 PM – 1:10 PM

    Performing an assessment of behavioral health needs in individuals with diabetes can be limited by lack of training, resources and time. This session will provide practical tools, resources and real-world examples to augment learning in this area for diabetes care and education specialists.

    Learning Objectives:

    At the completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

    • Identify the importance of addressing the behavioral health needs of PWD
    • Demonstrate real-world applications of addressing behavioral health needs
    • Utilize tools and resources appropriately to help address behavioral health needs in practice

     

    D07 – Diabetes Care and Education Specialists and Behavioral Coaching For Mental Health: Creating Successful Partnerships

    Korey Hood, PhD,

    Brooke Benton, CDCES, MS, RD, LDN

    Sunday, August 15, 2021

     10:05 AM – 10:35 AM

    Mental health issues can prove challenging to address for diabetes care and education specialists. This session will discuss how a behavioral coach can work alongside them to screen for mental health issues, recognize when individuals are struggling and connect them to available support resources.

    Learning Objectives:

    At the completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

    • Highlight models that promote partnership between the diabetes care and education specialist and the mental health specialist
    • Discuss the relationship between diabetes and mental health
    • Incorporate screening tools and identify referring sources to collaborate with for providing mental health care

    D19 – Diabetes Distress: An Overview of Prevalence, Assessment and Treatment

    Lawrence Fisher, PhD, ABPP

    Sunday, August 15, 2021

     11:15 AM – 11:45 AM

    This presentation will review the definition, clinical presentation, prevalence, assessment and treatment of diabetes distress due to its high prevalence and consistent links with self-management, making it an important target of clinical care.

    Learning Objectives:

    At the completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

    • Perform a clinical assessment for diabetes distress
    • Utilize recommended tools for clinical assessment of diabetes distress
    • Discuss the treatment of diabetes distress

     D25 – Optimize Support During Crises With Supplemental Peer Support

    Anna Norton, MS

    Sunday, August 15, 2021

     11:50 AM – 12:20 PM

    During the COVID-19 pandemic, peer support communities can serve as a supplemental resource for people with diabetes to maintain their mental health well-being. This session will provide strategies for diabetes care and education specialists to connect people with diabetes to these communities.

    Learning Objectives:

    At the completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

    • Recognize the need for psychosocial support for people with diabetes during a crisis
    • Provide suggestions and strategies for connecting people in their practice to peer support communities
    • Identify reputable resources for diabetes management outside of the healthcare environment

    Here are a few technology sessions you may be interested in as well.  

    T24 – Facebook Collaborative To Improve Diabetes Management

    Lorena Drago, MS, RDN, CDN, CDCES

    Miguel Johns, BS

    Thursday, August 12, 2021

     2:50 PM – 3:20 PM

    Sharing diabetes challenges and engaging with peers through Facebook groups helps people with diabetes make connections and learn/reinforce actionable self-care behaviors. This session will discuss how to use social media to teach, reinforce and support people with diabetes.

    Learning Objectives:

    At the completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

    • Discuss how sharing diabetes challenges fosters connections and improves self-care habits
    • Increase diabetes education support outside of the provider’s office using social media marketing strategies
    • Create engaging social media content to obtain measurable results

    ET07 – Powered by Dexcom: Continuous Glucose Monitoring Empowers Self-Management and Expands the Horizons for Connected Care

    Moderator: Deborah Greenwood, PhD, RN, BC-ADM, CDCES, FADCES
    Clinical Education, Dexcom

    Panelists:
    Malinda Peeples, RN, MS, CDCES, WellDoc

    Denise MacKenzie, RPh, PharmD, CDCES, OnDuo

    Aimée José, RN, CDCES, Steady Health

    LaurieAnn Scher, MS, RD, CDCES, Fitscript

    Lindsay Vettleson, RDN, CDCES, ACE-CPT, ACE-CHC, One Drop

    Friday, August 13, 2021

     10:45 AM – 11:30 AM
    Join the discussion with DCES digital health experts that are leading the development and implementation of digital platforms to support people with type 2 diabetes to engage in personalized, data-driven, self-management and support coaches and HCPs to inform therapeutic decisions.

    S04 – Technology Interventions in High-Risk Populations: The Identify, Configure, and Collaborate (ICC) Framework in Action!

    Donna M. Rice, MBA, BSN, RN, CDCES, FADCES

    Deborah A. Greenwood, PhD, RN, BC-ADM, CDCES, FADCES

    Saturday, August 14, 2021

     10:05 AM – 10:35 AM

     This presentation will describe the ADCES technology framework Identify, Configure and Collaborate (ICC) using a program that delivers care with technology-enabled devices in high-risk communities.

    Learning Objectives:

    At the completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

    • Describe the Identify, Configure, and Collaborate (ICC) framework and its application to high risk populations
    • Discuss the role of the diabetes care and education specialist in evaluating technology interventions within their practice
    • Discuss a technology assessment tool that can be utilized to assess specific technology needs

    We’ll see you in two weeks with a more detailed description of our Saturday educational session!

    We welcome anyone interested in our approach to Subscribe to our blog and we’ll email you when a new post is published!

    If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients. 

    Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

    Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown DIabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

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  • Fresh Views

    ADCES 2020 goes virtual: 8 sessions you don’t want to miss!

    August 5, 2020
    Tami & Deb at ADCES 2019

    With the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists Annual meeting (formerly AADE) right around the corner, we’re taking a brief break from our solution-focused word of the week series to highlight some of the sessions that will be presented at the ADCES meeting on psychosocial and behavioral health and technology. They align with our thinking and approach, and we thought might be of interest to you too. 

    This typically in-person meeting is always one of our favorite times of the year! It is such a great opportunity to reconnect with friends and colleagues while being energized about the work we do in diabetes care and education. However, in light of the pandemic, this year’s meeting (like many others) has gone virtual. So it is with mixed emotions that we share this ADCES preview. While we  look forward to learning from colleagues in the comfort of our homes this year, we so wish times were different and we could share coffee or lunch together, catch up on everyone’s lives over a glass of wine, give a lot of hugs, and dance the night away at the annual Sunday night dance party. Especially for the two of us, we have not been together in person since last October. One of our hopes in collaborating on this blog together was that we’d have the opportunity to spend more in-person time together. While we engage via Zoom, it’s just not the same.

    We’re excited to share that  we had an abstract accepted to present as an oral session at the originally scheduled in-person meeting in Atlanta on “Flipping the Paradigm: Applying a Solution-Focused Approach to the AADE7 Self-Care Behaviors”! But due to the condensed nature of the virtual meeting we opted out, with the hope that we can share our full presentation next year (fingers crossed!). In the meantime, we’ve had our first research paper incorporating a solution-focused approach published! You can find it online, Applying a Solution-Focused Approach to Life With Diabetes: Insights Gleaned via Twitter. This paper resulted from our presentation at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes last fall. We report the findings of our online study where we employed the Miracle Question approach during a Twitter chat. 5 themes evolved of a desired future state: more of living life; laughter and humor; self-compassion; resilience; and support.  

    Here are 6 of the sessions of interest that you may want to check out (all times are central time zone): 

    GS02 – Mobilizing for Health Equity (Friday, Aug 14 9:00 AM, 1 hour)

    This session will provide the participant with an understanding of the history and impact of structural racism on health equity. Throughout the presentation, Dr. Blackstone will define structural racism and how it relates to the social determinants of health. The participant will leave the session with key strategies to make individual steps toward interacting with equity.

    F06 – Empowering African Americans With Diabetes Through Positive Thinking (Friday, Aug 14 2:05 PM, 30 minutes)

    African Americans face many challenges associated with diabetes self-management and it is common for them to fall into negative thinking patterns. Researchers suggest that positive thinking can lead to improved diabetes management and empowerment to foster independence, self-management and the ability to question and make informed choices. This presentation offers 6 positive thinking strategies that can be utilized to assist in empowering the African American participant.

    F05 – Integrating Diabetes Technology Into the Clinical Paradigm (Friday, Aug 14 1:00 PM,  (1 hour)

    New and emerging technologies can help people with diabetes optimize glucose levels, reduce diabetes burden, achieve improved quality of life, and reduce the risk of acute and chronic complications. Diabetes care and education specialists and clinical practices are struggling to keep up with the pace of technological change. While essential, expertise in diabetes technology is not enough. There must also be processes in place to streamline paperwork and documentation, optimize clinical flow, educate staff and providers, and obtain reimbursement. This session will provide an overview of how diabetes technology can be effectively integrated into the clinical paradigm and discuss the role of the diabetes care and education specialist as the clinic’s technology expert and champion.

    F12 – COVID-19 Update: Protecting Adults with Diabetes (Friday, Aug 14 3:45 PM, 30 minutes)

    A significant portion of the U.S. population is vulnerable to severe complications, including death, from COVID-19. In addition, social disruptions secondary to the pandemic response are creating new vulnerabilities in the provision of chronic disease care and self-management for non-pandemic illnesses. This presentation will expand foundational knowledge of the impact of COVID-19 on people with diabetes and provide strategies through education and technology to protect adults with diabetes from COVID-19 while reducing gaps in diabetes care and self-management.

    S06 – Diabetes Psychology and Diabetes Services: Similarities and Differences (Saturday, Aug 15 10:40 AM, 30 minutes)

    This presentation will explain how diabetes psychology is used to help people implement new behaviors, navigate social stressors and manage the feelings of anxiety, depression and stress that often accompany diabetes. A discussion of similarities and differences between diabetes psychology and diabetes services will be provided. A model for integrating diabetes psychology with diabetes services will be described with examples of implementation at the San Diego VA hospital.

    D09 – Using Mindfulness in Veterans to Lower Diabetes Distress (Sunday, Aug 16 12:05 PM, 30 minutes)

    Mindfulness benefits veterans with depression and PTSD, but little is known about the impact of mindfulness in those with diabetes. This presentation will share our experiences and participant perspectives of a mindfulness-based diabetes education intervention that utilizes a digital application to support daily mindfulness in everyday life. Additionally, we will examine associations between mindfulness, diabetes distress (DD), stress-related symptoms, and glycemic management (A1C) and show how incorporating a mindfulness intervention into DSMES can target both DD and A1C in at-risk populations.

    Also, check out Deb’s 2 research presentations, one oral and one poster:

    F03C – 12-Month Outcomes for a Behaviorally-Enriched Diabetes Prevention Program for State Employee Commercial Drivers

    Not all participants achieve DPP outcomes. Identifying opportunities to augment, enrich and enhance the traditional program are needed to meet individual needs.  This session will present data from a 12-month observational study that evaluated the effectiveness of an innovative, behaviorally enriched  Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), on program outcomes of attendance, weight loss and physical activity.  This innovative, coach-led, behaviorally-enriched DPP was designed specifically to engage and motivate a “hard to reach”, mobile population at risk for developing type 2 diabetes using a behavior and social assessment and decision support tool set to facilitate a practical behavior change model (Information, Motivation, Skills) integrated into routine team care delivery and clinical software applications. Note: Sarah Downs and Alyssa Griswold contributed as co-authors on this submission.

    P409 – Diabetes Education Through Peer Support for Hispanic Spanish Speaking People with Type 2 Diabetes

    Diabetes is twice as likely to affect Hispanic people than their Caucasian counterparts. Our previous community-based participatory research demonstrated that technology in addition to social support is necessary to effect diabetes-related behaviour change in Hispanic individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). In this feasibility study, we address gaps in diabetes care for Hispanic people with T2DM by combining technology with an online peer support intervention. The inclusion of Hispanic, Spanish-speaking peer facilitators with diabetes lived experience will enable culturally appropriate discussion, advice and strategies to enhance the use of CGM and improve diabetes outcomes in participants. This poster presentation will describe the study background, methodology and intervention protocol.

    Also, please consider attending the Dexcom Educational Theater on Thursday, August 13, 2020 at 2:45 pm CT, Lighting the Fire: Bringing DSMES to Life with CGM with Dr. Bill Polonsky and Dr. Diana Isaacs. During this session, Dr. Diana Isaacs incorporates solution-focused principles when discussing CGM data with her clients.* This program is open to anyone whether attending the conference or not. You can register here.

    We welcome anyone interested in our approach to Subscribe to our blog and we’ll email you when a new post is published!

    If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients. 

    Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @AFreshPOVforYou

    *Note: Deb is employed by Dexcom but anything posted on this blog is her personal opinion.

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  • Fresh Views

    SUPPORT: Today’s word to jump-start solution-focused practice

    April 15, 2020
    The Pont du Gard, a spectacular bridge that supports an ancient Roman aqueduct system built in the first century AD to carry water over 30 miles to Nîmes, Provence, France.

    April is national Stress Awareness month, and around the world stress is at an all-time high amidst the COVID-19 crisis! Since stress during an infectious disease outbreak such as this can worsen chronic health conditions as well as mental health, getting support is essential.

    It’s timely that today’s word is SUPPORT 

    Putting COVID-19 aside for a moment, diabetes is a complex and challenging condition – one that requires attention every minute, every hour, every single day. According to an October 1, 2015 blog posted by Manny Hernandez, people with diabetes (PWD) spend only 0.007% of their time over the course of a year with healthcare providers and emergency departments. They spend the remaining 99.993%  time self-managing their condition on their own. And thus ongoing support is critical. People who have a strong support system in place tend to be healthier (and recover more quickly when they are sick.)

    Asking for and accepting help (support) is a sign of strength.

    In solution-focused practice, it’s vital to step alongside the person with diabetes to guide them in selecting the resources or activities that best suit their needs, and that works for them.

    Support comes in many forms: 5 ways to guide your clients to engage in ongoing diabetes support

    1. Check in with loved ones often. A common reaction during this time of physical and social distancing is feeling socially isolated, especially for those that live alone or are in a community setting that is not allowing visitors because of the outbreak.Virtual communication can help you and your loved ones feel less lonely and isolated. Maybe it’s connecting via video chat, text messages, email, social media, mailing letters or cards, or a good “old fashioned” phone call. It may help for you to share specific ways they can support you (such as “Do join me in making healthy lifestyle changes, but please don’t offer unsolicited advice about my eating.”)
    2. Reach out to your diabetes health-care team. Call on them if stress gets in the way of your daily activities for several days in a row. They are dedicated to helping you take an active role in caring for your diabetes. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic many healthcare providers are using telehealth, so you don’t have to leave your home to get the help you need.
    3. Support yourself by taking care of your own emotional health. Last fall we wrote about a solution-focused approach to healthy copying. You can find 6 ways to deal with stress and cope with life with diabetes in a healthy manner here. This is even more important for those caring for a loved one during this health crisis, which can take an emotional toll. 
    4. Learn about free resources that are available. There are many resources available to support stress management and coping, and some of them are free! There are free versions of mindfulness apps for your phone to help with meditation or sleep. There are many YouTube videos available that are freely available to watch, including videos for self-help as well as videos that just make you smile and laugh. During this COVID-19 crisis there is a wonderful free resource from Livongo called myStrength. Anyone can sign up (no credit card required) to participate in a series of small lessons ranging from coping with stress to learning how to communicate while being physically distant from your friends and family.
    5. Connect with others with diabetes for peer support. Connecting with others in the vibrant online diabetes community is an opportunity to learn from others facing similar issues, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, when it is convenient to engage. Peer support using social networking sites improves glucose management, especially in people with type 2 diabetes. Other avenues to gain peer support are through a “support group” or participating in a diabetes program or workshop. The American Diabetes Association has an online discussion board that allows people with diabetes to share their ideas, questions, and opinions on a variety of topics. These settings provide great opportunities to discuss common problems and concerns as well as share helpful advice, offer support, and celebrate success in diabetes self-care. The Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists website has lots of resources about online peer support here and you can download a handout here.
    Tami & Deb staying connected via Zoom

    THIS WEEK’S SOLUTION-FOCUSED CHALLENGE

    We often close with inviting readers to participate in a solution-focused challenge. This week we challenge you to incorporate these questions around support into your conversations with clients.

    1. What types of support are helpful to you currently?
    2. What types of support could help you now?
    3. Where will you get it? 
    4. When will you take the step to see this support?
    5. On a scale of 0-10, where 0 means not likely and 10 means very likely, how likely are you to engage in a support resource to help you?

    We welcome anyone interested in our approach to Subscribe to our blog and we’ll email you when a new post is published!

    If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients. 

    Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @AFreshPOVforYou

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  • Fresh Views

    AADE’s Project Vision: Positive Change is Coming!

    September 4, 2019

    Every positive change in your life begins with a clear, unequivocal decision that you are either going to do something or stop doing something. – Anonymous

    Are you familiar with the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) and their Project Vision? Whether you are a diabetes care and education specialist or someone living with diabetes, AADE’s Project Vision may positively impact you! 

    Who is AADE?

    If you’re not familiar with AADE, it is an interdisciplinary professional membership organization dedicated to improving prediabetes, diabetes and cardiometabolic care through innovative education, management, and support. AADE has a vast network of more than 14,000 practitioners working with people who have, are affected by, or are at risk for diabetes. AADE is a key influencer and resource in the diabetes space.

    AADE’s Project Vision: What you need to know

    AADE has recently launched a multi-year, transformational initiative known as PROJECT VISION. The goal is to position diabetes educators for success within a dynamically changing environment, elevating their role as integrators for clinical management, education, prevention and support.

    6 key strategies of Project Vision

    Project Vision encompasses 6 key strategies with a framework to guide the diabetes care and education specialty to evolve by enhancing the skills and education, and re-directng resources:

    1. Drive Integration. This strategy focuses on integrating the clinical and self-management aspects of care so that care is holistic and seamless.
    2. Include Related Conditions: Strategy 2 acknowledges that diabetes isn’t an isolated health condition. Diabetes educators will demonstrate expertise in the full range of cardiometabolic conditions including diabetes, obesity, hypertension and cardiac disorders.
    3. Focus on Behavioral Health: Foundational focus is on supporting the emotional well-being of the whole person with diabetes.(The AADE Project Vision web page has a great blog post by Dr. Nicole Bereolos about behavioral health that is well worth the read!)
    4. Leverage Technology: Diabetes educators will be technology experts and data interpreters, trainers, and consultants driving care. 
    5. Promote Person-Centered Care: AADE will continue to advocate that every individual with diabetes and cardiometabolic conditions has access to a diabetes educator.
    6. Achieve Quadruple Aim: The quadruple aim in healthcare focuses on better outcomes, improved patient experience, lower costs, and improved clinician experience. 

    Positive change is coming!

    What this means is that positive change is coming! This excites us here at A Fresh POV for You! Our work aligns with several of these strategies:

    • Promote Person-Centered Care. Read about how we use co-design here.
    • Leverage Technology. Read about our review of sessions at #AADE19 here
    • Focus on Behavioral Health. Our guess is that you already realize this is a big focus for us. Our #AADE19 presentation was in the behavioral health track titled The Miracle Question Applied to Diabetes. Of note, our session was standing room only, which we think indicates an interest, need, and willingness of diabetes clinicians to learn more behavioral techniques and approaches to add to their tool box.

    Diabetes Care and Education Specialists

    At the AADE business meeting at #AADE19 in Houston last month, AADE President Karen Kemmis unveiled the new name for the specialty, evolving from Diabetes Educator to Diabetes Care and Education Specialist! Through a recent AADE survey, most current educators respond that their work involves much more than education, including clinical management components.  The survey data overwhelmingly demonstrated that diabetes educators felt a name change would not only more accurately reflect the work being done but also would raise the level of respect for the specialty. Ideally, resulting in more referrals, increased access to services and more opportunities for all. 

    Our hope

    Our hope is that as Project Vision continues to reframe and reshape the practice and the specialty, that more diabetes care and education specialists will embrace a solution-focused approach to care, and incorporate the techniques such as those we share via our blog and through presentations and papers (be on the lookout for an article in AADE in Practice journal next spring!).

    If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, we invite you to subscribe to our blog, and we will send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients. 

    Subscribe to our blog and we’ll email you when a new post is published!

    Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @AFreshPOVforYou


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  • Fresh Views

    #AADE19 Sessions (Part 2)

    August 7, 2019

    More Behavioral Health, Language, Peer Support, Tech & Social Media 

    The long awaited #AADE19 Annual Meeting in Houston August 9-12 is here! Tomorrow we’ll be on a plane headed to Houston to join more than 3700 diabetes educators and other healthcare professionals at the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) Annual Conference. It is the premier educational and networking event for diabetes educators. Can you tell we’re excited??

    Tami and Deb at AADE a couple years back, with now AADE President Karen Kemmis

    Last week we shared the sessions that peaked our interest to catch on Friday. And today we’re sharing a look at the sessions we’ve highlighted in our online planner for Saturday-Monday.  As you will see, many overlap. So much great content, so little time to catch it all!. So, if you’re joining us in Houston and haven’t had a chance to look at sessions yet, here’s a glance at the top twelve we’re excited about and which again focus on behavioral health, how to impact behavior change, and the use of peer support. To keep it simple, we pulled out the session descriptions for you and reviewed uploaded slides when available. You can find all of this information in the Online Planner.  

    Saturday August 10, 2019

    S03 – 9:15-10:15 am AADE’s Practical Approach to Mental Health for the Diabetes Specialist by Shannon Eaves, Jasmine Gonzalvo, Jay Hamm, & Cynthia E. Muñoz

    Description:

    The AADE practice paper A Practical Approach to Mental Health for the Diabetes Educator describes common psychosocial considerations in people with diabetes (e.g. depression, anxiety, diabetes distress, disordered eating, etc.), the pharmacological impact of relevant medications, appropriate assessment and referral strategies, and effective communication practices. During this presentation, the authors of the paper will review the content of the paper and expand on specific aspects, including clinical scenarios to highlight real world implementation of the assessment and referral recommendations.

    Our take away:

    The dynamic duo of Jasmine Gonzalvo and Jay Hamm are two of the speakers on this panel who will review the practice paper findings and discuss medication therapy. We predict this session will be well attended. 

    S16A – 1:00pm-1:30pm Online and In-Person Peer Support for Underserved Populations by Michelle Litchman, Cherise Shockley and Heather Walker

    Description:

    Support for individuals with diabetes is recommended per the 2017 DSMES National Standards; however, it is not always easy to identify support resources, especially for underserved populations. In this session, online and in-person support specific to those with different ethnic, language, abilities and diabetes type will be discussed. This session will provide diabetes specialists with tools for identifying, creating, and referring to support resources.

    Our take away:

    This team is well known in the diabetes support space and we look forward to learning from them.

    S16B – 1:30-2:00 pm Create Lasting Behavioral Change in African Americans with Diabetes by Sharon Evette

    Description:

    African Americans have one of the highest rates of diabetes in the US. Diabetes specialists play a significant role in addressing cultural barriers which enable diabetes self-care. The Change Model addresses the person’s level of growth by helping them identify goals and develop strategies for long term self-care behavior change.

    Our take away:

    We’re interested in learning about their process. In the 7-step process of change they describe, step 2 is establishing a “vision” which is in alignment with what we are trying to do here @AFreshPOVforYou , and aligns with the Miracle Question exercise we’ll present on Friday.  If you’d like to read more about the Miracle Question, we are fans of this book! 

    S21A – 3:15-3:45 pm Making Space for Lurkers in Peer Support: A Community-Supported Approach to Engagement by Anna Norton and Heather Walker

    Description:

    Peer support in diabetes has been shown to positively impact the health of those who actively participate; however, only one recent study points to the power of a lurker. In this session, the role of the lurker will be introduced and highlighted in the context of diverse populations. The session will conclude with strategies to include underserved and low-income adults generally not reached through traditional peer support programs.

    Our take away:

    These powerhouse women are strong advocates of peer support and are fantastic speakers. We love the concept of lurkers as being truly a part of the community, learning and engaging in a way that works for them. Not everyone has the same needs, desires and abilities. We support all.

    S28-4:30-5:30 Beyond Coping: Raise Your Spirits, Not Your Blood Sugar, by Maggie Hunts

    Description:

    This interactive and musical presentation incorporates key methodologies to improving diabetes care for the specialists and the person with diabetes. Be uplifted by musical parodies about living with diabetes, as you learn key ways to reach individuals.

    Our take away:

    While this presentation seems like it will be a lot of fun, we were attracted to the solution focused approach described in the slide deck. She emphasizes starting with “wins” to build on what’s working and to teach seeing “victories” no matter how small. Love this! Tami will catch this one since Deb will be presenting another session at the same time.

    S25 – 4:30-5:30 pm Use of Social Media and Peer Support in Diabetes Care: A Panel from AADE Project Leaders by Deborah Greenwood, Ashley Ng, Michelle Litchman and Hope Warshaw

    Description:

    This panel presentation will share findings, tools, tips and practice pearls from publications in a special edition of the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology focusing on social media and peer support in diabetes. Three projects, which will be highlighted, had support from AADE. These include the online peer support community scoping review, the peer support communities initiative and iDOCr council. Join us to learn how to incorporate a variety of peer support and social media components to improve outcomes.

    Our take away:

    Deb was a special section editor for these journal issues and will share with other authors on the panel some learnings about the benefits of social media in diabetes care and education.

    Sunday August 11, 2019

    D01 – 9:15-10:15 am Tic-Tac-Tech: An Expert Panel on the Game of Integrating Technology into Practice by Crystal Broj, Kelly Close, Jasmine Gonzalvo and Deborah Greenwood

    Description:

    The panel discussion will focus on technology and its evolution in diabetes care. Real world case studies will demonstrate how educators can integrate new technologies into practice and work flow to ultimately produce improved outcomes.

    Our take away:

    Deb will be speaking on a panel with other tech savvy individuals in the diabetes space. The team hopes to generate a lot of discussion and conversation with the audience. So please join us if you would like to talk tech!

    D11 – 10:30-11:30 am No One Understands Me!; Helping People Live Well with Diabetes by Ann Constance and Cecelia Sauter

    Description:

    Only 32% of people with diabetes reported recently being asked about their emotional well-being by a member of their health care team.This interactive session will discuss new evidence about the negative effects of diabetes-related distress. It will explore effective and practical strategies diabetes specialists can incorporate into care delivery models to address emotional well being.

    Our take away:

    The Empowerment model will be employed in this presentation, helping people use their “own innate ability to gain mastery over their chronic disease.” Their slides describe very solution focused approaches to practice including focusing on goals and NOT solving problems for the individual, but listening to them and supporting them in their efforts.

    Next is a description of a two-session series on diabetes distress in the afternoon.

    D15A – 1:30-2pm Interventions to Help Overcome the Impact of Diabetes Distress by Eliot LeBow

    Description:

    Diabetes distress can impact a person’s life and diabetes self-management.This presentation orients educators to the underlying causes of diabetes distress, the symptoms, and the impact on peoples’ lives. Validated resources will be provided to help attendees understand and decipher the differences between diabetes distress and clinical depression. Interventions to help overcome the impact of diabetes distress will be reviewed.

    Our take away:

    We’re interested in the concept of “micro-trauma” as a factor in diabetes distress and look forward to learning more.

    D15B – 2:00-2:30 pm Diabetes Distress and Burnout: Helping Youth and Families Live Well with Diabetes by Rebecca Butler, Katherine Gallagher and Amber Smith

    Description:

    Most people with diabetes will experience diabetes distress at some points during their life. The emotional side of diabetes is often the area where providers spend the least amount of time, but it is one of the most important things to address to help people succeed. The goal of this presentation is to help diabetes specialists learn to recognize when people may be exhibiting diabetes distress and to provide tools to empower them to provide emotional support.

    Our take away:

    There are some great solution focused approaches to practice in this slide deck, including providing 3 behavior praises for every one correction and for parents and providers to notice what the kids did WELL!  Also, there’s great inclusion of using empowering language.

    D22 – 2:45-3:45 pm Mind, Body, History: Listening, Eliciting, Responding to the Whole Story of the Person with Diabetes by Marina Tsaplina

    Description:

    Behind the complexities of diabetes management, is a human being with a lived history that shapes their diabetes story. Narrative medicine understands that illness unfolds in stories and that a competent diabetes specialist must be trained in the physiology of the body and appropriate treatments, but also in narrative competence, humility and mind-body practice to serve people with diabetes across cultural, racial, and economic inequities. We invite you to participate in a workshop that incorporates theater, narrative medicine, and mindfulness to strengthen your practice of delivering compassionate, whole-person diabetes care.

    Our take away:

    While there were no slides to review, this interactive session by Marina Tsaplina will discuss building a therapeutic relationship with clients, an important concept to us, and in any solution focused approach.  

    Monday August 12, 2019

    M12 – 10:45-11:45 AM Not the Word Police: What the Language Movement is Really About by Jane K. Dickinson

    Description:

    The 2019 Diabetes Educator of the Year will present a deeper dive into the language movement in diabetes. Why are we trying to change the language around diabetes, why does it matter, and how can we do it effectively? We will discuss what the language movement is not, and have some hands on practice with replacing unhelpful messages.

    Our take away:

    Dr. Jane K. Dickinson will work through some examples of how to change practice and use person first, empowering language that does not stigmatize, shame and blame. Hooray! 

    So many fabulous speakers, topics, panels and presentations are ahead of us! Not to mention all of the great posters that will be presented as well. Join us in tweeting using the #AADE19 hashtag – share what you are learning along with others in your network. While we love the learning, we are also excited to connect with dear friends and colleagues, laugh a little (or maybe a lot), enjoy an adult beverage (or two) and dance at Sunday night’s classic celebration!  

    Please find us and say hello at the meeting! We love meeting our “online friends” when we are at in-person at conferences! We plan to share our highlights in a future blog, so stay tuned!  Hope to see you in Houston! 

    2019 AADE President, Karen Kemmis and Past President Donna Ryan at last year’s AADE Celebration!

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  • Fresh Views

    Highlights of #AADE19: Behavioral Health, Language, Peer Support and Social Media

    July 31, 2019

    We’re getting excited for the #AADE19 Annual Meeting in Houston August 9-12!  For us, a little  advance planning and mapping out a schedule with the online planner helps us to successfully navigate the packed meeting, get to the sessions that peak our interest, and catch-up with friends! 

    Deb, Karen, Joan and Tami at #AADE18 President’s Reception

    As always, this meeting offers a multitude of cutting edge topics and excellent presenters. So, if you’ll be joining us in (hot) Houston at #AADE19 but haven’t had a chance to check out the sessions, here is the scoop on the 8 we’re excited about on Friday which focus on behavioral health, how to impact behavior change, and the use of peer support. To keep it simple, we pulled out the session descriptions for you and reviewed uploaded slides when available. You can find all of this information in the Online Planner.  

    F06-Friday 9:45-10:45 AM Shame and Diabetes: Practicing Resilience in a Culture of Weight Stigma, Disordered Eating, and Healthism by Nikki Estep 

    Description:

    Nearly 3/4 of people with type 2 diabetes report feeling shame about having diabetes, and shame-based self-talk and behaviors have been correlated with all types of diabetes. Presenters will define shame and how it is exacerbated in a culture of weight stigma and healthism, which can lead to disordered eating and other barriers to diabetes management.

    Our take away:

    Their slides are intriguing, sharing the work of Dr. Brene Brown on shame and vulnerability (love her books). From their slides: “Healthism is a belief system that sees health as the property and responsibility of an individual and ranks the personal pursuit of health above everything else, like world peace or being kind. It ignores the impact of poverty, oppression, war, violence, luck, historical atrocities, abuse and then environment from traffic, pollution to clean water and nuclear contamination and so on. It protects the status quo, leads to victim blaming and privilege, increases health inequalities and fosters internalized oppression.” – Lucy Aphramor

    The concept of “healthism” is new to us and yet the impact on stigma is so clear.  We also love the concept of Weight-Neutral Diabetes Care (WNDC) that “Focuses on establishing self-care behaviors. It DOES NOT promote restriction, endorse unsustainable exercise, or encourage disordered eating as a way to ‘get healthy’.”Looking forward to this one. 

    F07- Friday 11:00-12:00 Bright Spots & Landmines: A Diabetes Toolkit for Meaningful Behavior Change by Adam Brown

    Description:

    Why is changing behavior so difficult in diabetes? Why aren’t more people motivated? Why is there so much negativity in diabetes? Can we do better? Adam Brown will discuss the concepts of Bright Spots & Landmines as a toolkit for diabetes specialists to assist individuals to change behaviors, including specific food, mindset, exercise and sleep strategies. Attendees will learn how to apply “Bright Spots” and “Landmines” thinking to different individuals and scenarios, including easy-to-implement question guides.

    Our take away:

    While there were no slides to review, we are big fans of Bright Spots & Landmines and interviewed Adam Brown in our blog post on April 3, 2019.  Adam’s “Bright Spots” are very similar to “Exceptions” in a solution-focused approach (where one evaluates what’s going well and what they can “do more of” instead of focusing on the problems). Of course, there are obstacles that people face every day, and those are the “landmines” where things are not working as well.  You won’t want to miss his PDF handout of the 42 Factors that Affect Blood Glucose.

    F12-11:00 am-12:00 pm Reducing Stigma to Improve Outcomes: How to Reduce Stigma Effects by Laurie Klipfel , Eileen Rivera and Ann Williams

    Description:

    Health care professionals work with people who experience stigma, such as stigmatized racial/ethnic identities and other stigmatizing conditions. Recently stigma itself has been recognized as a fundamental cause of health disparities, that is, persistently associated with health inequalities across different times, diseases, risk factors, and health interventions. In other words, stigma affects outcomes. This panel presentation will explore what stigma is, how it produces health disparities, and what diabetes specialists can do to decrease its effects. It will include discussion by people from three stigmatized groups: People who are legally blind, transgender individuals, and those experiencing weight stigma.

    Our take away:

    The slide deck revels a presentation on how stigma affects health and how we can decrease the effects of stigma.  Looks like some powerful personal stories will be shared. Unfortunately, this session is the same time as Adam’s Brown’s. So many decisions!

    F23 Friday 3:15-4:15 pm Peer Support Communities for Self-Management Support: Research Trends by Perry Gee

    Description:

    The “S” on the end of DSMES is for support. Peer support is a resource being used by millions of people with diabetes. In this session, you’ll learn the latest research on the impact of social media and peer support communities on the promotion of self-management of diabetes.

    Our take away:

    The slides for this presentation show a historical look at past AADE presentations as well as published research supporting the #DOC or Diabetes Online Communities.Happy to see iDOCr research council mentioned in the presentation. This is at the same time as the Language  presentation below.

    F24A -3:15 pm-3:45 pm How Language Affects Person and Provider Communication by Jana Wardian

    Description:

    Communication between people with diabetes and providers plays an important role in engagement, conceptualization of diabetes management, treatment outcomes and behavior. Healthcare teams can be more effective through respectful, strengths-based communication. Empowering language can enhance motivation and well-being for people with diabetes. While this skill may take time, it is well worth the effort.

    Our take away:

    The slides are available for this presentation. Jana states she has lived with diabetes for 26 years and wears a pump and CGM. It’s always good to hear the language perspective from a person living with diabetes. If you follow us you know we often speak about person centered, strengths based language, so we’re happy to see several sessions on language at this conference. There was one slide that we would challenge however around the use of “bad vs. unhealthy blood sugar”. We don’t see “unhealthy” as a positive word choice or a biological factor. We’d go with “in range” or “out of range”. 

    F26A-4:30-5:00 pm Applying the Miracle Question in Diabetes Care by Tami Ross and Deborah Greenwood

    Description:

    Managing diabetes is complex and the constant focus on problems can erode confidence. Presenters will introduce “The Miracle Question,” a step-by-step solution-focused approach to work with people with diabetes. Participants will learn to use “exceptions,” the times when life works better or when problems are less likely to take over, to guide them toward attaining a personal action plan and goals. By focusing on abilities and possibilities, there are ready-to-use solutions. This approach assists diabetes specialists to help people strengthen their resilience and confidence.

    Our take away:

    Of course we are really looking forward to our presentation and hope you will join us! We will share one solution-focused tool called “The Miracle Question” as an exercise to move people forward in their thinking and actions when living with diabetes – to create a sense of hope and acknowledge possibilities. You can read our past blog post about the Miracle Question to learn more. If you’d like to further explore the Miracle Question, check out this book we’re fans of! 

    F29-4:30-5:00 F29 – Impact of Diabetes Self-management Education and Support on Psychological Distress among African Americans and Hispanic/Latinos with Diabetes by Ninfa Pena-Purcell

    While it conflicts with our session, this is another interesting topic.

    Description:

    Attention to the emotional side of diabetes is necessary in the delivery of DSMES. This has been found to be particularly critical for diverse racial and ethnic groups that have unique lived experiences. Two culturally appropriate community-based DSMES programs responded to this need, one aimed at African Americans and the other at Hispanic/Latinos with type 2 diabetes. Findings suggest that for both groups psychological distress was reduced and diabetes-related outcomes improved. Participate in this interactive session to dive deep into an exploration of the complexities of culturally appropriate diabetes interventions.

    Our take away:

    The slides for this presentation address the ADA guidelines for psychosocial care, how and when to assess people for diabetes distress, and describes a culturally tailored program to address these issues.

    F26B-5:00-5:30 Peer Support Communities: Data, Resources, Tips and Tricks, Ashley Ng 

    Description:

    People with diabetes and caregivers are increasingly turning towards online peer support communities to share and exchange information and experiences that impacts health behavior outcomes and emotional health. While the popularity of online communities continues to grow, it is crucial that diabetes specialists start to integrate evidence based online peer support networks as part of mainstream diabetes care. This presentation will discuss current challenges that surround people with diabetes and healthcare providers with the widespread sharing of personal data.

    Our take away:

    Ashley a dietitian, researcher, person living with diabetes, and colleague will discuss the privacy, security, and safety concerns of sharing personal data online, along with the role of the healthcare provider in helping people stay safe while online. 

    Wow, Friday is going to be a jam packed day! We’re thinking it may be Saturday before we make it to the Exhibit Hall this year!

    Deb, Tami and our good friend Lorena as we explored the exhibit hall at #AADE18

    We can’t wait to get to Houston to learn and re-energize! We are thrilled to see so many presentations addressing the behavioral side of living with diabetes and the essential component of peer support. Join us in tweeting using the #AADE19 hashtag – share what you are learning along with others in your network. Drop back by next week when we’ll share other  sessions of interest throughout the rest of the conference.

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  • Fresh Views

    Highlights from American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions (Part 1): Focus on Behavioral Health

    June 26, 2019

    “Wellness is the complete integration of body, mind and spirit – the realization that everything we do, think, feel and believe has an effect on our state of well-being.” ~ Greg Anderson

    Tami, Mike, Deb and Mark enjoying the “Fresh Views” in Marseilles, France

    We’ve just returned from a relaxing vacation in the South of France where we imprinted enough “fresh views” to last us quite a while! But we are quickly back to work, with the first stop post vacation at The American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions in San Francisco. A Fresh POV for You attended some inspiring sessions, particularly those focused around behavioral health. (If you’ve been following our blog, you know that’s a special interest of ours.) We thought we’d share highlights from several that were particularly impactful.

    Highlight #1

    One of the most rewarding presentations was the Richard R. Rubin Award lecture, presented by Dr. Frank J. Snoek, PhD. The award recognizes an individual who has contributed to the science of the behavioral aspects of living with diabetes. Dr. Snoek’s talk  #DiabetesPsychologyMatters focused on the important connection between behavior change and mental health. As one of his slides depicted…they are two sides of the same coin!

    Dr. Snoek noted that one goal is to shift the burden of diabetes distress, so that higher distress can be moved down to moderate, and moderate moved down to low. He also indicated that a single high score on a distress scale does not mean that an individual needs professional help, or is in a maladaptive situation. Everyone with diabetes experiences diabetes distress at some point and at some level.

    Additionally, he discussed the correlation between mood and behavior, an area of significant interest to us at A Fresh POV for You. He described that when someone actually feels good, they are able to shift their priorities towards less pleasant activities that might help them achieve more long term goals. However, when someone has a low mood, they tend to seek short term rewards to help them feel better in the present.

    Overall he emphasized the need to enhance access to care and specifically called out what he described as “indirect interventions” –  including Diabetes Self Management Education and Support (DSMES), psycho-education as well as internet/mobile interventions. Specifically, he called for incorporating behavioral techniques along with existing pure “education” practices.

    Photo of Frank Snoek’s slide at ADA Scientific Sessions showing the indirect psychological support that can be provided by nurses, diabetes educators, etc.

    We believe that by incorporating Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) techniques and counseling approaches, diabetes educators can address the needs of people living with diabetes, incorporating “two sides of the same coin”. Addressing both the self-management education and support needed for behavior change, while at the same time, addressing mental health concerns, such as diabetes distress. In essence, we can “fill the gap” that exists in access to psychological care. Overall this lecture solidified our efforts in moving this approach forward within the diabetes community.

    Highlight #2

    Another impactful session focused on complications associated with diabetes. The emotional toll of diabetes complications-What have we done for them lately.  The panel was moderated by Dr. Korey Hood, a behavioral scientist. Panelists included Chris Aldred (aka The Grumpy Pumper), Kerri Sparling (Six Until Me), Matthew Heywood, and Ina Mendoza. They spoke frankly and candidly about their experiences living with diabetes complications. Managing diabetes is tiring enough, then add a complication, and it becomes so much more complex. Much of the discussion addressed the stigma associated with diabetes complications and how the panelists were/are often told that they “should have done better”. Ouch.  #LanguageMatters when talking about complications. Making people often feel “less than” when they have a complication.  Where is the compassion in care?

    One question from the audience was, “What can we do to make this better?” So, A Fresh POV for You posed an answer to consider….”How about incorporating a more solution-focused approach into practice?  With focus on the solutions and strengths an individual has to help move them forward, rather than focusing on past problems and trying to identify why they occurred.” We know that no matter how much effort goes into managing diabetes, sometimes people still get complications. We also referred to Adam Brown’s Book, Bright Spots and Landmines,, featured in one of our  April blog posts. Focusing on “bright spots” are similar to focusing on the “exceptions” or the things that are going well used in a solution-focused approach.  

    We look forward to sharing more of these concepts in our presentation at the American Diabetes Association Annual Meeting in Houston in August,  Applying the Miracle Question in Diabetes Care.. In fact, here we are finalizing our slides before the deadline while in Marseilles, France.

    What deadlines look like on vacation!

    Highlight #3

    Stigma was a theme common through many of the behavioral health sessions. As recipient of the Outstanding Educator in Diabetes Award, Virginia Valentine, shared a moving presentation, The most important thing we give to people is…Hope: Overcoming stigma in diabetes and obesity,. She explained that the stigma associated with diabetes causes blame and shame, and that “Shame is the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of being loved or belonging.”-Brene Brown. She reminded the audience that “the only thing people with diabetes did wrong is when they picked their grandparents.”  She ended her presentation with a review of the language guidelines that foster person-first, strength based language.

    Highlight #4

    Finally, there was the session on #LanguageMatters- Strategies to Improve Communications in Diabetes Care. Jane K Dickinson, and Joe Solowiejczyk, both healthcare providers and people living with diabetes, gave their perspectives on the use of language. Notably, Jane was the lead author on the publication , The Use of Language in Diabetes Care and Education (we’ve written about #languageMatters in the past here). Then Kevin Joiner connected the dots between the stigma associated with language when engaging in a healthcare discussion. Finally, Dr. Jane Speight, lead author of the Australian Position Paper, A New Language for Diabetes, helped to identify strategies for healthcare providers to communicate more effectively with people living with diabetes. We were excited to see them show the Telly Award Winning #LanguageMatters video that was co-designed with the #DOC and released last year at the AADE meeting, Changing the Conversation.

    Deb watching the Changing the Conversation #LanguageMatters video at the #ADA2019 meeting (Photo credit Renza Scibilia)

    Check back July 10th as we share another big highlight from ADA Scientific Sessions,  discussion of the recently published “Nutrition Therapy for Adults With Diabetes or Prediabetes: A Consensus Report”.

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