January 31, 2014

Wisdom is Doing Good Stuff

I subscribe to the idea that putting the truth into life, as action to help others, is wisdom. 

A lot of what comes over the band width pipeline isn’t all that wise. Some isn’t true, some doesn't help and a lot is, well selfies, which are by definition self focused.
Here's two great opportunities from the diabetes community do be wise this weekend before “The Game.” 


Diabetes Art Day is one. I am a big fan. It turns the undeniable and often inexpressible truth of the emotional baggage of living with diabetes into something to share, inspire that is positive too. There is a trifecta. Make art this weekend, then eat nachos and watch the Super Bowl commercials. 

Spare a Rose is another. The diabetes online community is coming together this Valentine’s Day to, "Spare a Rose Save a Child." Lack of insulin is the leading cause of death for Children with type 1 diabetes around the world. Insulin is needed in developing nations. The international Diabetes Foundation Life for a Child program is a sustainable way to save kids lives. It cheap too. Five bucks keeps a child alive for a month. About what a fancy Valentin’s Day rose cost. Be wise, buy fewer flowers this year and keep kids alive. 


Both these efforts seek to bring community together, do good things, for others. Sure it fun watch TV poke fun at the Biebs and Rob Ford. Maybe doing some good is a wiser use of the time. Sure it's fun watch TV poke fun at the Biebs and Rob Ford. Maybe doing some good is a wiser use of the time.


Life for a Child

January 22, 2014

Tandem Cartridge Recall

The Tandem Recall has been expanded. Check your stuff.

Details at:
http://www.tandemdiabetes.com/News/2014/Tandem-Expands-Voluntary-Recall/

This is the list I found at Tandem. May be smart to check with the link above and double check.

January 21, 2014

AADE Research on Meter Accuracy and Choice

From AADE

Research Highlights the Need to Ensure Accuracy And Patient Choice of Diabetes Testing Supplies

Inaccurate Blood Glucose Meters Cause Safety Concerns; Government’s Competitive Bidding Program Limits Access


For Release: January 21, 2014

Two new surveys conducted by the American Association of Diabetes Educators demonstrate once again the need for the healthcare, insurance, and diabetes educator communities to ensure that people with diabetes are using meters that are appropriate for their individual needs – and are accurate.

One survey – conducted online in November by Harris Interactive for the American Association of Diabetes Educators – found that 27 percent of patients with type 1 diabetes had experienced health problems due to inaccurate blood glucose meter readings. Roughly nine percent of those with type 2 diabetes had experienced health problems as a result of inaccurate readings.

While accuracy was ranked by a majority (60%) as one of the top three most important factors in determining which meter to use, more than two-thirds (68%) were not aware that many meters available today do not meet global standards for accuracy.

 

January 15, 2014

Join the Brainstorm Started at #MedtronicDAF

A lot of wonderful and wise things happened at the Medtronic Diabetes Advocate Forum.*

Please help extend an important part of the event beyond the walls of Medtronic and beyond the borders of the USA. At #MedtronicDAF, with Scott Johnson and George Simmons, I helped lead some structured brainstorming. It would be easy enough to report out the results. That could, however, be seen as suggesting the views collected there are the only views on the topics that matter. 

We all know that ain't even close. How about sharing your thoughts?

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world's leading questionnaire tool.

For actual reports on the event see:
Kim Vlasnik at Texting My Pancreas
Catherine Price at A Sweet Life
Kerri Sparling at Six Until Me
Christel Aprigliano at The Perfect D
Sara Nicastro at Moments of Wonderful
Meri Schuhmacher at Our Diabetes Life
Jacquie at Typical type 1
Cara Richards at Every Day, Every hour, Every Minute
Chris Stocker at The Life of a Diabetic
Jessica Collins at Me and D
George Simmons at Ninjabetic


*Disclaimer: I attended as a guest of Medtronic. They paid for jet lag, oceans of caffein, a few beers, a place to stay and local transportation that made me car sick. They did not ask me to write. Nor suggest any topics if I did. They did not ask me to hold back on questions and they didn't hold back on replies to tough questions. My T1D kids are not users of their devices, we have demo-ed some, that did not seem to influence their interest in my thoughts. I try to maintain a friendly relationship with the people there. I feel their primary motivation is to serve people with diabetes through their work. This includes their fiduciary responsibility to shareholders, of which I am not one. For the new proposed guidance: Medtronic has no collaboration, editorial preview or review privilege on anything I say here. And a partridge in a pear tree. 

January 13, 2014

Thanks Lilly: $200,000 to the Diabetes Scholars

This is an amazing program. Lilly's continued support is a wonderful gift to help launch futures. I would love to chat about making DProm a fund raiser for the Diabetes Scholars Foundation at FFL.

INDIANAPOLIS and ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill.Jan. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Lilly Diabetes announced it will renew its commitment to the Diabetes Scholars Foundation (Foundation) scholarship fund for another two years. The commitment includes a $200,000 donation ($100,000 for each calendar year) that will support the Foundation's mission: to empower young people with type 1 diabetes to live their lives to the fullest. The Foundation will use the donation to fund the Lilly Diabetes Tomorrow's Leaders Scholarships for students with type 1 diabetes as well as conference scholarships for families to attend the 2014 and 2015 children with DIABETES® Friends for Life® conference. 
In 2013, the Lilly Diabetes scholarships went to support 21 students pursuing higher education as well as 10 families who attended the 2013 Friends for Life conference. Over the last six years, the Foundation has awarded more than $700,000 in college scholarships to young adults with type 1 diabetes, including $204,000 in 2013.
More: https://investor.lilly.com/releasedetail.cfm?releaseid=818191

January 7, 2014

New Proposed FDA Meter Regulations

From StripSafely.com

Proposed new guidance is out today from FDA on blood glucose meter systems (BGMS).  There are two documents. One for patent users and one for use in clinical settings such as hospitals. I am still reading them but I thought other may wish to do so too..
Starting at line 420, page 11,
... you should demonstrate that 95% of all SMBG results in this study are within +/- 15% of the reference measurement across the entire claimed measuring range of the  device ...
There are actually two pieces of proposed guidance, over the counter (linked above) and point of care. The later is at:
That document for BGMS use by HCPs in clinical stetting states (starting at line 277, p9):
Although many manufacturers design their BGMS validation studies based on the International Standards Organizations document 15197, FDA believes that the criteria set forth in the ISO 15197 standard do not adequately protect patients using BGMS devices in professional settings, and does not recommend using these criteria for BGMS devices.