#dedoc° voices at ISPAD 2022: Caro’s experience

I was sponsored by the #dedoc° scholarship program to attend The International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) conference in Abu Dhabi in October 2022. The conference was jam packed with a variety of interesting presentations and sessions on different topics. Therefore I won’t write about all the things I heard and learnt at ISPAD 2022. I would, however, like to write about some personal highlights of this conference.

#dedoc° voice Caro at ISPAD 2022. Source: Caroline Pudmensky

At ISPAD, I had the opportunity to meet a group of young diabetes advocates who came from all over the world. Countries including the Philippines, Zimbabwe, Palestine, France, Italy, Lebanon, Egypt, Uruguay, South Africa, Pakistan, Poland, the United States of America, and many others, were represented. The diversity of this group meant they were full of different ideas and approaches to diabetes advocacy. 

As I’m older than most of these young #dedoc°voices, I loved seeing the ideas they came up with, how they managed advocacy projects and how they committed to #PayItForward! The networking they do and the power they have is a gift for this generation. They are the ones who will improve the world in so many ways and with so many different strategies. Diversity, networking and cooperation will be their (super!) power.

#dedoc° voices at ISPAD 2022. Source: Caroline Pudmensky

ISPAD 2022 diabetes conference: my highlights

It’s very difficult for me to pick just one highlight since the conference was so packed with interesting sessions. Aside from the great time I had with the #dedoc° voices, here are three personal takeaways from ISPAD 2022.

1. Dr. Katarina Braune’s presentation on DIY loop systems: “How can HCP assist people that choose to use DIY?”

Dr. Braune opened with how these systems were created by and for people with diabetes and what research already exists on the topic. She addressed the dilemma that healthcare professionals (HCPs) face in terms of forming an opinion on DIY hybrid closed loop systems. That these systems are safe, well evaluated and thoroughly researched was also made clear. The New England Journal of Medicine even published an article on this, and randomised control trials (RCTs) have been carried out.

2. “Digitalization in Diabetes Education and Care”: comments by Prof. Dr. Thomas Danne

Prof. Dr. Thomas Danne’s comment during this session addressed accessibility of diabetes technology and medicine. We should stop talking about different insulins: we need one insulin that’s accessible to everyone. We should stop talking about test strips: we need CGM for all. We should stop talking about different insulin pumps: we need one cheap insulin pump with interoperability — everyone has a mobile phone that could control one. 

And this is exactly what we need globally — keep it simple — we need accessibility!

3. Making introductions 

A small personal highlight was that I was able to bring together and introduce two paediatricians to one another. After I made comments in two different sessions, they came up to talk to me. During one session in particular, I had the chance to introduce them to each other. Hopefully they connected over shared interests and can support each other going forward — and maybe even contact me for further support when it comes to DIY looping! 😉

From mental health to immunology in diabetes: other highlights

Beyond these three main highlights, I also participated in a workshop on mental health with Dr. Kate Gajewska, which was amazing and really interesting. We talked about what psychological support is available in different countries, what patients need and how this topic could be driven forward.

I also had the chance to briefly talk with Professor Bart Roep, who is the Director of the National Diabetes Center of Excellence at the Leiden University Medical Center and who works on immunology and type 1 diabetes. This was inspiring and very interesting. Fellow #dedoc° voice Leon Tribe, who joined ISPAD 2022 virtually, wrote a brilliant article about Professor Roep’s talk.

The logical brain and the creative brain inside a blue diabetes circle, representing how Caro felt after ISPAD 2022. Source: Caroline Pudmensky

I left this conference feeling overwhelmed, inspired, and impressed, with a head full of information from both the conference and the personal experiences and stories of this group of #dedoc°voices”

I feel very honoured to have been part of this adventure!

Did you attend ISPAD 2022? What were your highlights? Let us know in the comments.
This article was originally published in German on Caro’s blog, Lucky Loop, on 22 October 2022.