JDRF's Tom Robinson Expands on Policies to Ensure Implementation, Access to Key T1D Interventions

Tom Robinson, vice president of global access at JDRF, goes over what policies are needed to implement and ensure access to 4 key type 1 diabetes (T1D) interventions: timely diagnosis, insulin and strips, pumps and continuous glucose monitors, and prevention and cures.

Transcript

What national or international policies are needed to ensure these interventions are implemented and accessible?

I'd say at the national level, there's ong thing that should be the number 1 policy priority for everybody, and that is to connect with and support local type 1 [diabetes] communities, both people living with type 1 [diabetes] and their health care [caretakers], because I can guarantee they have thought more about this than anybody else. We see them helping to pinpoint where the problem is; they're formidable problem solvers in their own right. Health care systems that work closely with those communities tend to be leading compared to other health care systems. So I think that's that's just a blanket thing like these are smart, committed, insurgent groups—get them involved in solving the problem in your country.

I think internationally there are probably a number of structures that we need to look at establishing to support that national level change. I think a clear strategy would be helpful. I think looking at philanthropic funding models and pooled models will be helpful. We need a consistently and widely used monitoring and evaluation capability so we can see change happening and see failure happening and success happening.

There's a few others. I don't want to get too far over my skis here because that's something we're working right now on with other major players, looking at these things and saying, "What do we need? What are the 5, 6, 7 things we need to establish internationally to support that national level change?" I think that's probably going to unfold in the next 6 to 12 months, so we might have another conversation about that then. I think there are some pretty exciting things coming out of that piece.