Despite being a chronic autoimmune disease, the burden of type 1 diabetes is often overlooked in public health discussions. Not only are patients with type 1 diabetes being tasked with understanding disease pathophysiology as an integral part of optimal management, but also with keeping up with advances in pharmacotherapy and technology.
As a result, patient support programs, such as Blue Circle Health, have emerged to fill a vital role in the management teams for people with diabetes. Provided at no cost to patients through funding from the Helmsley Charitable Trust, the program is designed to free education and support programs in the form of a diabetes support coach, insurance navigation, peer coaching, and special programs, including programs dedicated to introducing patients to continuous glucose monitoring.
The program is currently limited to adults with type 1 diabetes living in Florida but has disclosed plans for introduction into additional states. Patients are required to meet the following characteristics to participate:
- Be diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes
- Be 18 years or older
- Speak English and/or Spanish
- Have access to the internet and a smart phone or computer to do video calls with the care team
- Have a primary care provider or are willing to be connected to one
- Are not currently pregnant
As part of their on-site presence at the 84th American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions, Diana Isaacs, PharmD, an endocrine clinical pharmacist, director of Education and Training in Diabetes Technology, and codirector of Endocrine Disorders in Pregnancy at the Cleveland Clinic, and Natalie Bellini, DNP, program director of Diabetes Technology at University Hospitals Diabetes and Metabolic Care Center, invited Monica Gomberg, MD, Vice President, Clinical Care at Blue Circle Health, to take part in a special edition episode of Diabetes Dialogue: Technology, Therapeutics, & Real-World Perspectives.
Gomberg has no relevant disclosures to report. Relevant disclosures for Isaacs include Eli Lilly and Company, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, Abbott Diabetes Care, Dexcom, Medtronic, and others. Relevant disclosures for Bellini include Abbott Diabetes Care, MannKind, Sanofi, and others.
References:
Blue Circle Health. Our program. Blue Circle Health. May 15, 2024. Accessed June 27, 2024. https://www.bluecirclehealth.org/our-program/.