More than a hundred people with diabetes, carers, and health professionals attended the second Type 1 Diabetes Technology & Research Discovery Meeting, organised by Diabetes Technology Network Ireland (DTN IRL) in collaboration with Diabetes Ireland, in Cork on the last Tuesday of March. The evening meeting took place at the Clayton Hotel and featured three excellent speakers, four talks, and a diabetes technology exhibition.

Dr Antoinette Tuthill, consultant endocrinologist from Cork University Hospital, chaired the session. Dr Tomas Griffin, consultant diabetologist from the University of Galway and Galway and Roscommon University Hospitals, and a co-chair of DTN IRL, provided an overview of the technology available to people with diabetes.

Dr Griffin outlined the advantages and disadvantages of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), smart pens, insulin pumps, and hybrid closed-loop systems. Madelaine Bonser from Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF – Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) summarised the most interesting ongoing research supported by the organisation in the search for a cure for diabetes.

Ms Shirley Beattie, clinical specialist dietitian and sports and exercise performance nutritionist at Cork University Hospital, delivered a highly practical talk on technology, nutrition, and exercise in Type 1 diabetes. Dr Eoin O’Sullivan, consultant endocrinologist from Bon Secours Hospital, was the final speaker of the day, discussing the most common barriers to achieving optimal diabetes control with technology and offering advice on how to overcome them.

Participants had the opportunity to ask healthcare professionals questions, meet peers living with diabetes, and explore the latest technology available in Ireland. They also had the chance to meet the Diabetes Ireland team from both the Dublin and Cork centres.’

According to participant feedback, the meeting was highly valuable, helping attendees stay up to date with the rapidly evolving diabetes technology landscape while improving their knowledge and awareness of Type 1 diabetes technology and research.

The next meetings in the series are scheduled for September in Letterkenny and November in Dublin. For updates, visit the Diabetes Ireland website at www.diabetes.ie and sign up for the newsletter to ensure you don’t miss the next Type 1 Diabetes Technology and Research Discovery Meeting!