Australia wins international Diabetes Innovation Award 11 November 2019

Dear Minister Hunt, 

Re Australia wins international Diabetes Innovation Award: 

I was extremely proud and honoured to represent Australia at the annual meeting of the International Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) to collect the award as judged by international peers as being the most significant paediatric diabetes innovation in the past year. I am particularly proud that the award-winning innovation was conceived and created in regional Australia.

That innovation is the T1D e-learning courses for children with diabetes at school.

My idea of applying a proven learning platform to create diabetes courses for school personnel arose because my general paediatrician work has evolved in later years to specialise in both allergy (I have been a strong collaborator and contributor to the National Allergy Strategy representing regional Australia) and diabetes. General paediatricians (compared with other subspecialists) have frequent contact and develop close relationships with school personnel though case meetings and school visits for children with learning, behaviour and medical problems. I noted the success, acceptance and familiarity of the ASCIA anaphylaxis training modules for school personnel. However, anaphylaxis management is simple compared to managing the complex needs of children with Type 1 Diabetes at school, so the challenge was significant.

See full letter Letter to Minister Hunt 11-11-2019 188.81 KB