(This is the first of several reports posted Amy Tenderich of DiabetesMine who represented us at the 65th ADA Scientific Sessions conference in San Diego over the weekend. We want to say a special thank you to Amy for her willingness to report on the conference for us.)

Rally Cry = Prevention, Team Care, and  Make it Positive!

American Diabetes Association President Alan Cherrington set the tone for the annual ADA Conference in San Diego, CA, Sunday with his keynote speech calling in essence for much more aggressive prevention of the disease and a real and effective team approach to helping patients, in a way that  "empowers" them.

This represents a major shift in focus for the ADA and all diabetes care professionals, who previously concentrated on "chronic care" treatment, i.e. dealing with patients already diagnosed in a didactic manner. Cherrington made no bones about the fact that the old-school model of "just providing doctors with more information is not working!"  Instead, he said, "it is the patient who must decide what strategies to put in place."  

"Patients and their families, not health care professionals, are responsible for management of this disease," Cherrington said.   A major focus of the educational sessions here for CDEs, RNs, dieticians and other providers was how to motivate patients: coping strategies, education, and creating a positive experience with "early and intensive treatment."

This shift was never more imperative, Cherrington  notes, since current trends are scary:

• nearly 1 in 3 Americans are now obese, and 2 of 3 are overweight
• in four states, more than 25% of the population has diabetes; in many others it's upwards of 10%
• by the end of 2003, the incidence of diabetes was up to 1.3 million new cases per year
• research now suggests an additional 5 million people with undiagnosed "pre-diabetes"
• an aging population, due to longer life-expectancy, means even more incidence of diabetes

If these trends continue, by the year 2030, there will be a staggering 23 million Americans with diagnosed diabetes. America will rank third in the world for number of people with diabetes, and the cost of the disease will top $250 billion a year.
 
But this course can be changed, Cherrington said. Primary care physicians, endocrinologists, diabetes educators, nutritionists, and even other doctors treating related problems (such as podiatrists, dentists, oncologists, etc.) need to work together better to give patients clear information, and above all, a positive, interactive experience with their care so that they can take charge. (We're no longer using the terms "compliant" or "non-compliant" patients -- thank goodness!)

"Patients who feel understood and supported by their providers are more likely to have a high level of self-confidence and to suceed in behavioral change," he said. Why, yes! And we hardly needed a scientific conference to tell us that. But how wonderful to know that this is the message aimed at providers these days: improve patient interactions, and you will improve results!

Amy Tenderich is a relatively new type 1 diabetic living in San Francisco, CA. She gets good control with a Novolog pen and Lantus injections at night. She's a part-time freelance writer for the technology industry and full-time mom. She writes an unusual blog about diabetes at www.diabetesmine.com.