Diabetes Care Conversations

How does social connection influence diabetes outcomes? In this episode of Diabetes Care Conversations, host Patrick McMahon speaks with diabetes care and education specialist Megan Muñoz, RN, MSN, CDCES, about the impact of loneliness and social isolation on diabetes management. Together, they explore how social connection influences health outcomes and share practical strategies for helping people with diabetes build stronger support systems through person-centered care.

Join Gary Rothenberg, DPM, CDCES, CWS, and Jodi Lavin Tompkins, MSN, RN, BC-ADM, CDCES, for an insightful discussion on diabetes-related peripheral neuropathy. Dr. Rothenberg explores the clinical manifestations, risk factors, and diagnostic approaches to neuropathy, while highlighting strategies for effective patient engagement and self-care support. The conversation also introduces the pyramid of treatments and therapies—a practical framework to guide interventions for individuals affected by neuropathy. Tune in to enhance your understanding of diabetes-related peripheral neuropathy and access the accompanying patient education handout designed to support self-management and shared decision-making. This episode is supported by an education grant from Lexicon Pharmaceuticals.

On this episode of Danatech Talks–a special series from The Huddle–Katrina Flaskerud, MS, RDN, LD, CDCES outlines some of the fundamentals of diabetes technology. Katrina provides a foundational overview of all of the devices out there today and how they differ from each other, how to have conversations with clients about what diabetes technology options may be best for them, and how diabetes care and education specialists and other health care professionals who are less familiar with diabetes technology can get started and learn more. This episode was supported by educational grant funding from Abbott. Explore the latest in diabetes technology as well as trainings and resources on danatech: danatech l Diabetes Technology Education for Healthcare Professionals

Kat Lucas, Hannah Reidel, and Thomas Hallett from the Diabetes Link share the young adult perspective on living with diabetes; including building trust with the DCES, navigating financial issues, alcohol use, and more, and the excitement of traveling and moving to new cities – all while living with type 1. Our guests share their experiences coming of age while living with diabetes, and discuss the importance of building trust with the care team and some of the valuable benefits of working with a DCES. Kat, Hannah, and Thomas share insights on what they wish their care teams knew about living with type 1, and thoughts on how the DCES can show up and provide support as those with similar experiences come of age.

Jasmine Gonzalvo, PharmD, MPH, CDCES, FADCES, joins this episode to discuss the importance of curiosity, effective communication and cultural sensitivity in diabetes care. She shares her personal approach to exploring barriers to insulin in clients and highlights how motivational interviewing can be a powerful tool in navigating treatment conversations—especially when addressing common misconceptions about insulin. The conversation emphasizes the importance of open-ended questions, recognizing personal biases, and creating safe spaces for honest dialogue. By nurturing relationships and meeting patients where they are, diabetes care and education specialists can better support lasting behavior change and improve health outcomes.

On this episode of the Huddle, Kelly Postiglione Cook, RN, MSN, ANP-BC, CDCES, BC-ADM, and Sean Oser, MD, MPH, CDCES have a conversation about the importance of utilizing automated insulin delivery systems, like the iLet bionic pancreas, more widely in primary care. They provide insight into a study that evaluated the success of implementing use of the iLet bionic pancreas in a primary care setting, how the results illustrated that this technology can be more widely utilized in these settings, and the role diabetes care and education specialists can play in this work. This episode is sponsored by Beta Bionics. Episode References: Bionic Pancreas Research Group. Multicenter, randomized trial of a bionic pancreas in type 1 diabetes. N Engl J Med 2022;387:1161-1172 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2205225 Russell SJ, Selagamsetty R, Damiano E. Real-world efficacy of the iLet bionic pancreas in adults and children during the first eighteen months of commercial availability. Presented at the American Diabetes Association 85th Scientific Sessions, June 20-23, 2025, Chicago, IL. Oser SM, Putman MS, Russel SJ, et al. Assessing the iLet Bionic Pancreas deployed in primary care and via telehealth: a randomized clinical trial. Clin Diabetes 2025; cd240104. https://doi.org/10.2337/cd24-0104 Oser C, Parascando JA, Kostiuk M, et al. Experiences of people with type 1 diabetes using the iLet bionic pancreas in primary care: A qualitative analysis. Clin Diabetes 2024 https://doi.org/10.2337/cd24-0060. Sulik B, Postiglione Cook K, MacLeod J. Meals no longer need to be math problems: Shifting from precise carbohydrate counting to a continuum of carbohydrate awareness as automated insulin delivery advances. Diabetes Technology and Obesity Medicine 2025;1(1):79-83. DOI: 10.1089/dtom.2025.0010. Resources: Learn more about Beta Bionics here: https://www.betabionics.com/ Explore the latest in diabetes technology on danatech: danatech l Diabetes Technology Education for Healthcare Professionals Learn more about a two-part course on integrating diabetes technology into primary care, put on through the collaboration of AANP and ADCES: Part 1: Integrating Diabetes Technology into Primary Care Part 1: Overview and Clinical Scenarios Part 2: Integrating Diabetes Technology into Primary Care Part 2: Interactive Case Studies Dive deeper into how diabetes technology can be incorporated into primary care on another recent episode of The Huddle featuring Kathryn Evans Kreider DNP, FNP-BC, BC-ADM, FAANP: https://thehuddle.simplecast.com/episodes/embracing-diabetes-technology-in-primary-care

On this episode of The Huddle, Wendy Mobley-Bukstein, PharmD, BCACP, CDCES, CHWC, NASM-CPT, FAPhA, FADCES and Debbie Hinnen, APN, BC-ADM, CDCES, FAAN discuss the importance of medication persistence, how to talk to clients about starting and staying on diabetes medications, and strategies to help clients stay consistent with their medication taking. This episode was made possible with support from Lilly, A Medicine Company. Learn more about the latest in diabetes technology on danatech: danatech l Diabetes Technology Education for Healthcare Professionals Learn more about the ADCES7 Self-Care Behaviors: Self-Care Tips (ADCES7) References: Kennedy-Martin, T., Boye, K. S., & Peng, X. (2017). Cost of medication adherence and persistence in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a literature review. Patient Preference and Adherence, 11, 1103–1117. https://doi.org/10.2147/PPA.S136639 McGovern, A., Hinton, W., Calderara, S. et al. A Class Comparison of Medication Persistence in People with Type 2 Diabetes: A Retrospective Observational Study. Diabetes Ther 9, 229–242 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13300-017-0361-5 Evans M, Engberg S, Faurby M, Fernandes JDDR, Hudson P, Polonsky W. Adherence to and persistence with antidiabetic medications and associations with clinical and economic outcomes in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic literature review. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2022; 24(3): 377-390. doi:10.1111/dom.14603 Sabaté E., Adherence to Long-Term Therapies: Evidence for Action, 2003, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland. https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/physician-patient-relationship/8-reasons-patients-dont-take-their-medications https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/09/08/549414152/why-do-people-stop-taking-their-meds-cost-is-just-one-reason https://www.adces.org/docs/default-source/handouts/adces7/handout_pwd_adces7_takingmedication.pdf?sfvrsn=4e3f6359_13