Last week, medical student and GREMAP collaborator Chris Okine presented at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) annual conference, which took place in Chicago, IL. Chris presented his poster entitled “‘Feeling secure is important to me… but I just don’t… most of the time’: Patient Definitions of Success in Diabetes Management”, which analyzed qualitative data from Diabetes, Distress, and Disparities (3D) Study to explore how people with diabaetes (PWD) define ‘success’ in the management of their diabetes. For example, PWD in the 3D study sample defined success in a broader sense, including the impact of managing their diabetes on their relationships, their sense of balance and quality of life, and their mental and emotional health, in addition to clinical markers (e.g., A1c) often used in a healthcare setting.

Overall, the ADA conference was a great opportunity to connect with other researchers and clinicians and to share our work with a broader audience focused on diabetes. Chris shared that many people were interested in the quotes and specifics about patient experiences with defining success as it relates to their diabetes management. Attendees were also interested in learning more about how definitions of success varied by diabetes type. In addition to the poster session, Chris connected with other presenters as well as faculty from UM who study diabetes. Great work, Chris!

Left: Chris presenting his poster at the poster session; Right: Chris at the ADA conference entrance.