New diabetes technology offers better care

11 July 2022

As we recognise National Diabetes Week this month (10-16 July), we are reminded of the vital role of our services in supporting and caring for more than 13,000 people living with diabetes in our community every year, like Lauren (pictured below).

Lauren was just nine years old when she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. While overwhelming at the time, Lauren has learnt to manage her diabetes over the years, and with the advancement of new technologies she will have more control over her diabetes than ever before.

She recently attended our Diabetes Education Centre to receive an insulin pump upgrade and new Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) device which will offer automated insulin dosing, among many other benefits. Her new equipment is also Bluetooth enabled allowing her to monitor her glucose levels on the go, at any time, and on any device.

“I have been patiently waiting to receive this upgrade, and I’m excited and also a little nervous to learn about its new features and adapt to the new technology it offers,” said Lauren.

“I’m most looking forward to using my phone to monitor my glucose levels during the day, instead of always checking my pump.”

Diabetes patient Lauren with her new insulin pump and NALHN staff
Caption: Lauren (centre) gets up to speed on how to use her new insulin pump and CGM device with the support of Diabetes Nurse Educator Jillian Lyon-Green (left) and Dr Anthony Zimmermann (right).

According to NALHN’s Head of Diabetes and Endocrine Services, Dr Anthony Zimmermann, the team is now gearing up for a very busy few months ahead as a new cohort of consumers become eligible for subsidised new diabetes technologies, which includes CGM devices under the National Diabetes Support Scheme.

As of 1 July, every Australian with Type 1 diabetes has access to a potentially life-saving Government funded device, which can cost up to $5,000 per year without the subsidy.

“We are looking forward to supporting this new group of consumers to access diabetes equipment and technologies they could not previously afford,” said Dr Zimmermann.

NALHN’s Diabetes Education Centre is staffed by a team of endocrinologists, specialist nurses, dieticians, and other clinicians, who work together to provide a range of services tailored to the needs of individuals living with Type 1, Type 2 and gestational diabetes, empowering them to manage their diabetes and live a better quality of life.

According to the National Diabetes Services Scheme map, the prevalence of diabetes in NALHN’s catchment zone (Adelaide’s north and north-eastern suburbs)) is approx. 9.7 per cent, far above the national prevalence of approx. 5.4 per cent.

First in Australia to be Diabetes Technology Accredited

NALHN is proud to be a leading diabetes service provider within SA in many ways – we have the only service to be recognised as a Tertiary Centre by the National Association of Diabetes Centres (NADC), and we are the only Local Health Network within SA Health to be a registered member of Australasian Diabetes Data Network.

And just recently, we became the first-ever diabetes service in Australia to be successfully named a ‘Diabetes Technology Accredited Service’ by NADC, which is a huge achievement according to Dr Anthony Zimmermann.

“It was a proud moment to share this news with the team and it’s a wonderful recognition of our commitment to improving our services and support for people utilising diabetes technologies,” said Dr Zimmermann.

This accreditation is for a period of 4 years and is a wonderful recognition of our commitment to improving our service delivery and care of people utilising diabetes technologies.

What’s even more amazing is that NALHN is also the only service in Australia to achieve the ‘Trifecta of Accreditation Award’, for being NADC accredited across all three key areas:

  • Standard Accreditation.
  • NADC Collaborative Interdisciplinary Diabetes High Risk Foot Service (HRFS) Accreditation.
  • And now, Diabetes Technology Accreditation.

NADC Diabetes Service Accreditation is a highly sought after and respected symbol of quality diabetes care and is the only accreditation of its kind to offer comprehensive diabetes-specific accreditation aimed at the improvement of quality and safety.