This document summarizes key findings from a study of healthcare professionals' online discussions about type 1 diabetes from 2015 to 2016. Some of the main topics discussed include concerns about patient care provided by the UK National Health Service (NHS), a desire to raise awareness about type 1 diabetes and differentiate it from type 2 diabetes, and discussions surrounding the inaugural Talking About Diabetes conference in 2016. HCPs expressed interest in connecting patients and providing resources, as well as concerns about continuous glucose monitors not being available on the NHS and scare tactics being used in patient interactions.

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What can we learn about unmet needs or interests among HCPs
who talk about T1D online?
How do HCPs engage online?
How do patients feature in the HCP online conversation?
What are HCPs’ thoughts on the latest technologies and
advancements in Diabetes as well as the established treatments?
Top healthcare professionals
Healthcare professional online profiles: top-3 HCPs
Glossary of terms
Table of contents

3. What can we learn about
unmet needs or interests
among HCPs who talk about
Type 1 Diabetes online?
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4. Question summary
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What can we learn about unmet needs or interests among HCPs who talk about T1D online?
Patient concern:
HCPs’ primary topic of discussion regarding T1D is patient concern. There is a desire from HCPs to patients, see especially young patients,
have opportunities to improve lifestyle or connect with one another creating patient communities.
NHS:
A number of stories surrounding the NHS were discussed by HCPs including Diabetes and the prescribing budget, and whether
continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) would be available to Type 1 Diabetes patients funded by the NHS.
Awareness:
Some HCPs feel the lack of differentiation between Type 1 and 2 Diabetes is not acceptable. They use emotive language, are not afraid to
share their opinion and will question others’ views directly to try to raise this awareness. HCPs also share links to websites, blogs and
resources which help patients and HCPs alike understand Type 1 Diabetes.
TAD Talk 2016:
In order to raise the profile of Type 1 Diabetes, 2016 saw the first Type 1 Diabetes conference in the UK: TAD Talk 2016. This conference
was a high point of discussion for the year among HCPs talking about T1D online. The primary topics shared online were to related to
successfully managing diabetic lifestyle.

5. What can we learn about unmet needs or interests among HCPs who talk about Type 1 Diabetes online?
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6. What can we learn about unmet needs or interests among HCPs who talk about Type 1 Diabetes online?
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Patient Concern
6

7. What HCPs say regarding T1D patients
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Observations:
When speaking about patients
HCPs focus on young people,
connecting patients and
providing resources for patients
such as the comic book Type 1:
Origins.
7
youngpeoplewithT1
comic
connecting peoplewith T1
resource tedstyletalks
awareness
stopinsulinconferenceblog
Key topics of interest to HCPs regarding T1D patients
Resource
Young people with T1
Connecting people with T1
Comic

8. What can we learn about unmet needs or interests among HCPs who talk about Type 1 Diabetes online?
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9. What can we learn about unmet needs or interests among HCPs who talk about Type 1 Diabetes online?
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NHS
9

10. Positive sentiment towards the NHS relating to Diabetes
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Thanking NHS
61%Good resources
19%
NHS improving
3%
General
7%
NHS saves on insulin
10%
Observations:
HCPs share success stories
and highlight the good the
NHS does, particularly among
individual patients which is
seen as they retweet patient
messages thanking the NHS.
HCP
n=31

11. Negative sentiment towards the NHS relating to Type 1 Diabetes
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General
8%
NHS patient care
19%
DKA in NHS
hopsitals
50%
NHS patient interaction
11%
Missed targets
12%
Insight:
Many HCPs were concerned by
the high statistic connected to
getting a diabetic ketoacidosis
(DKA) in NHS hospitals. Generally
there are some concerns over
NHS care of type one diabetic
patients.
n=26

12. Other topics discussed in relation to NHS by HCPs
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Insight:
The NHS topic that
received the most
mentions by HCPs
was a petition for
continuous glucose
monitors (CGM) to
be made available
on the NHS.
26%
3%
11%
9%
2%
13%
6%
10%
6%
2%
12%
Petition for CGM
T1D service review
Awareness
Other
Funding
Resources
Education
NHS prescribing budget
Bypassing NHS politics
Questions
Patient care
n=95

13. HCP concerns relating to the NHS and T1D
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Continuous Glucose Monitors:
A number of HCPs joined an
online petition to make
Continuous Glucose Monitors
available on the NHS. The
petition do not reach its target.
“
- Various HCPs
Petition: Make
Continuous Glucose
Monitors available
on the NHS for Type
1 Diabetics
“ “
- Partha Kar, Endocrinologist
11 March 2016
Much much to be
done on patient
engagement in NHS.
Scaring people does
NOT work.
“
“
- Daniel McGuiness, Renal & GIM SpR
3 Aug 2016
Diabetes drugs cost NHS nearly £1bn a year.
That's 10% of cost of all #NHS primary care
prescribing.
“Patient interaction:
A few HCPs felt that the NHS
uses scare tactics as a method
of encouraging T1D patients to
live the best lifestyle for their
health.
NHS prescribing budget:
Many HCPs used social media
to relay the information
regarding the NHS’ prescribing
budget. Statistics like ‘10.6%
of budget spent on Diabetes’
and ‘nearly £1billion/year’
were being tweeted widely.
The primary source that HCPs
were sharing relating to this
concern was an article posted
on the Guardian website.
13

14. What can we learn about unmet needs or interests among HCPs who talk about Type 1 Diabetes online?
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15. What can we learn about unmet needs or interests among HCPs who talk about Type 1 Diabetes online?
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Awareness

16. HCPs raising awareness of Type 1 Diabetes
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0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
Number of HCP awareness tweets
Weeks
October saw the release
of a comic book
designed to educate the
public about Type 1
Diabetes. News of the
publication was shared
many times by HCPs.

17. Awareness campaigns shared by HCPs
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Legend:
These are the five most
shared Type 1 Diabetes
awareness campaigns and
informational resources.
8%
30%
26%
19%
17%
Beyond Type 1 Origins Comic JDRF Ninjabetic Blog T1 Resources
n=574

18. Reasons HCP raise awareness
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Insight:
HCPs engage in discussion with HCPs and non-HCPs on Twitter
to share knowledge about the differences between Type 1 and
Type 2 Diabetes. They are keen that Type 1 and Type 2 are not
seen as one disease.
Lack of understanding of T1D and the differences between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

19. Reasons HCP raise awareness
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A sugar tax MAY
help to reduce
TYPE 2 DIABETES. It will not
REDUCE type 1 DIABETES.
Just in case you didn’t know.
Cheers. @DiabetesUK
@JDRFUK
- Partha Kar, Endocrinologist
16th March 2016
Diabetes: ‘T1 patients reported experiencing a
greater stigma than people with T2. Parents of
children with T1 reported most stigma of all’
- Anne Cooper, Nurse, 16th March 2016
Insight:
Healthcare professionals
are not happy for the
stigma associated with
T2D to also be given to
those with T1D. Certain
HCPs are willing to speak
up publicly against this.
“ “
“
“
To remove the stigma from T1D

20. HCP views on the roles of diet and exercise in T1D
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Observations:
Diet and exercise make a small portion of the overall conversation. Diet is much more prominent in the Type 2 conversation while
exercise is similar in both.
Type 1 conversation Type 2 conversation
4%
3%
93%
Diet
Exercise
Other
n= 6156
13%
3%
84%
Diet
Exercise
Other
n= 6248

21. HCP views on the roles of diet and exercise in T1D
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Observations:
In the conversation relating to diet within Type 1 Diabetes there are many appearances of words that would be expected such as eating,
drinks, sugary and food. The Twitter account ‘@brickabetes’ is often mentioned. @brickabetes documents aspects of living with
Diabetes (mostly Type 1) by using Lego and other bricks and pieces. The words ‘research’ and ‘study’ are most notable in the Type 1
Diabetes specific exercise conversation. ‘Run’ is the largest theme appearing in the exercise conversation: possibly pointing to a
preferable approach to fitness?
Diet Exercise

22. What can we learn about unmet needs or interests among HCPs who talk about Type 1 Diabetes online?
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23. What can we learn about unmet needs or interests among HCPs who talk about Type 1 Diabetes online?
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TAD Talk 2016
23

24. Type 1 Diabetes discussion over time
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0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Mention volume
Inaugural Talking About
Diabetes (TAD Talk)
conference
12th March 2016
"Type 1: Origins"
a comic for people
with Diabetes is
launched

25. 9%
7%
5%
5%
17%
10%
17%
2%
15%
13%
Living with T1 Education
Stigma Chris Aldred's talk
Anne Cooper's talk Jamie Reed's talk
Joe Eldridge's talk Justin Webb's talk
Lis Warren's talk Laura Cleverly's talk
Type 1 Diabetes topics discussed online during TAD Talk 2016
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Living with resilience
T1Ds get a “raw deal” in UK
Understanding T1D from patient’s point of view
Living with Diabetes for over 50yrs
Pursue your dreams
Real life struggles and championing T1D
Insight:
The various talks at TAD Talk 2016
were the primary point of discussion
surrounding the event.
Talks by Anne Cooper and Joe
Eldridge were most discussed by
HCPs online.
n=101

26. 26
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