American Diabetes Association Meeting 2013

On a weekend with a full moon summer solstice,

And a national title win for the Blackhawks lighting up the skyline, magic is everywhere in Chicago and dreams seem possible. In the midst of this, the ADA annual meeting is occurring.

Research and posters are abundant, and possibilities for better treatments and technologies like the artificial pancreas seem certain. But what about a cure? The answer: more research needs to be done.

NIH budget is smaller for diabetes than for HIV or cancer.

This is despite the large numbers of people that have diabetes, and that are projected to obtain diabetes in the near future.

Manny Hernandez of Diabetes Hands Foundation discussed this fact at the non-profit’s first ADA fundraiser event.  He said, ‘Not that HIV or cancer aren’t important, but diabetes is too’. For diabetes dreams to come true, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, caregivers, and advocates all need to make more noise and to raise more money.

As I slipped away for a brief lunch in this dreamy town of Chicago at the amazing Paris Club to indulge my own dreams of a return to Paris, I reflected on a primary message that I see developing about what needs to be done to make the dream for a diabetes cure come true: more noise and more money.

Summary: Today tremendous economic, social and political pressures dictate the physician’s ability to deliver proper health care. Just like early HIV advocates and cancer advocates, diabetes advocates must unify their voices to make a choir of noise that gets economic, social, and political attention, and eventually more scientific funding. Diabetes dreams can then come true. 

EndoGoal Diabetes App Wins!

EndoGoal Diabetes App recently won entry to the semifinals in New York City at the Healthcare Innovation World Cup Event sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim and HITLab.

At the semifinal event we won $2500 from Boehringer Ingelheim!

We will be using the funds to start building the rewards platform that will accompany the app that has been available for download since September 2012 (ios/android).

EndoGoal App and its rewards platform will provide real money rewards for glucose checks by a person with diabetes. The money comes from friend and family sponsors who matter most to each person with diabetes. On the platform, friends and family can make donations as they see fit to help support their loved one with diabetes.

Points earned by checking glucoses and entering them onto the EndoGoal App journal each day can be 'cashed in' on the rewards platform each week for a prepaid visa card! We will begin building the platform now with the talented Columbus-based nonprofit technology team, GroundWork group. Although we still need to raise more funds to complete the work, stay tuned for future announcements! You can check out the winning EndoGoal demo and business model presentation here:

South By Southwest 2013: An EndoGoddess Perspective

I am a patient, doctor, and a technology consumer early adopter (aka geek).

As a technology consumer early adopter, my life is comfortable and modern: I communicate with friends across the world in an instant, I deposit checks using my smartphone and I find anything I want to buy and then purchase it too. As a doctor, whether I like it or not, I must use archaic technology such as fax machines to confirm letters of medical necessity, prescriptions with pharmacies, and communication with school nurses. As a patient, I must actively advocate and fight for what I need with multiple long phone calls: making a claim with my health insurance, keeping up with my mail order medication refills, making an appointment, finding out my lab results.

Currently, I occupy all worlds at separate times. However, at South By Southwest, it was possible to imagine living in all worlds at the same time…and to randomly audition for a movie role too (yes, on a lunch break, I did just that). Here are a few of my favorite examples from this year’s meeting that really sparked my imagination as a doctor, patient, and technology consumer:

Despite an electric atmosphere of optimism, South By started out with a message of caution from All Gore. He discussed both the opportunities and the responsibilities specific to new technologies that are making their way into the future from South By. Specifically, he pointed out some of the ‘stalker-like technology’ social applications as well as ground-breaking genetic science technologies that must be created and used with caution: identity theft, security concerns, ethical concerns.

Aetna had a big presence at South By this year reflecting their dedication to making the newest and the best technology products. CarePass Sync is a new platform they have launched this month which helps move health-related data between apps that Aetna has curated. Once an Aetna patient has downloaded a CarePass Sync enabled app, they can choose to enable sync, and agree to give the app permission to accessed certain components of their CarePass Sync “personal health cloud”, as Aetna calls it. Each patient's personal data then automatically populates the apps that each user wants to download.

Portable 3D printers roamed around the conference center advertising easy, modern, personalized creations and communication. Tons of implications for healthcare but in this day and age it would just be nice to replace the fax machine for communication.

Neurowear was one of my favorites in the exhibit hall. Brain wave analysis through headphones were translated to a representative song choice: mine was a space invader song after viewing the Minecraft and gaming expo; but the guy standing in line to try Neurowear right before me had Madonna's 'Like a Virgin' on his mind...nonetheless, a fun way to interpret and personalize health quantifications.

Anyone wearing google glasses were instant celebrities such as this guy who posed for my picture. Google glasses are a high profile example of wearable tech which had a big presence. Translations to healthcare and virtual gaming are currently only fantasy but likely to be reality in 1-2 years.

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, uses data to personalize and modernize tasks. One of my favorite examples was TempoAI which analyzes your email, phone conversations, and calendar behaviors to push the link or phone number you need right before your conference call meeting. Certainly, the data provided from wearable sensors like google glass could have large implications for healthcare. However, progress is stalled in the field of AI and healthcare until liability is better understood. Thus, AI will only be applied to calendars and personal assistants at the moment.

A low tech, high touch favorite moment of mine was meeting grumpy cat at the Mashable station. Sometimes a cute frown and a low tech star at a high tech meeting are just the right ironies.

As a participant since the beginning of the health track at South By in 2011, it is thrilling to see how health tech has grown. The excitement in the air was electric this year! We are certainly witnessing the start of a new era and future as patients, doctors, and technology consumers which looks to be not only comfortable and modern but fun and personalized too!