Devin Steenkamp is an endocrinologist at Boston Medical Middle and Assistant Professor of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Vitamin, and Weight Administration at Boston College Chobanian and Avedisian College of Medication. Dr. Steenkamp is the Director of the Medical Diabetes Program at Boston Medical Middle and serves because the T1D Trade High quality Enchancment Collaborative (T1DX-QI) website PI for grownup T1D endocrinology at Boston Medical Middle.
Interview with Devin Steenkamp, MD
On this interview, Dr. Steenkamp discusses his involvement with the T1DX-QI as a diabetologist and physician-scientist whose scientific observe and analysis are centered on the usage of diabetes know-how in underserved populations.
The T1DX-QI was established in 2016 — with the assist of The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Belief — to refine finest practices and enhance the standard of care and outcomes for people dwelling with T1D. Development has been super, with 62 endocrine clinics from throughout the U.S. collaborating within the Collaborative.
Fueled by high leaders in diabetes care, the T1DX-QI has turn out to be an engine of innovation and inspiration. By participating with its shared, data-driven, and systematic strategies, clinics have seen unprecedented success of their strategy to diabetes administration.
With members working intently to determine gaps in care, uncover and refine finest practices, and share analysis — the method has turn out to be knowledge-sharing at its perfect. Whereas collated information provides clinics a transparent sense of “the place they’re,” it additionally demonstrates “the place they are often” by making use of shared, evidence-based strategies for bettering care.
What introduced you to endocrinology? Who has influenced you essentially the most?
“After graduating from medical faculty on the College of Pretoria in South Africa, I labored in a personal observe as a household physician in Saskatchewan, Canada for a couple of years,” stated Steenkamp. “I made a decision to work in rural Canada as a result of I needed to be a rugged, individualistic clinician that might ship infants, suture stuff, and be an general rural doc.”
“Diabetes care wasn’t one thing I anticipated, however by the point I left, it was about 70% of my observe. I actually loved working with these sufferers, and I knew I needed to be an endocrinologist — which actually isn’t a standard trajectory,” defined Steenkamp. “So, I got here to the U.S. to do my residency with the intent to be an endocrinologist, extra particularly, a diabetologist.”
“In my second 12 months of endocrinology fellowship, I had the chance to work with one other South African endocrinologist, Howard Wolpert, within the world-renowned diabetes know-how program he established at Joslin. Howard has been an exquisite mentor, and he and Dr. Marie McDonnell, who was main the diabetes program at BMC on the time, inspired me to do one thing actually tough — to arrange a know-how program in an underserved, security web hospital,” stated Steenkamp.
“It’s taken a very long time to make vital inroads, however I do know this wanted to occur, and the tech program has been the ‘primary child’ I’ve carried throughout my 10 years at BMC post-fellowship,” stated Steenkamp, who, along with his involvement in scientific research and numerous trials associated to underserved T1D populations, offers in-clinic care for a lot of adults with T1D.
Steenkamp defined, “Whereas some folks ask if I’m in endocrinology due to my spouse, who has lived with diabetes for 27 years, I actually don’t assume that had a lot to do with my curiosity,” stated Steenkamp. “Nonetheless, witnessing her self-sufficiency and self-discipline, due partially to the grounding, assist, and foundational training she acquired quickly after prognosis, has helped to border the way in which I take into consideration diabetes and form my strategy to observe.”
Are you able to describe your position as an endocrinologist centered on T1D care?
“As a diabetologist, I assist folks to dwell their finest lives with a situation that they didn’t need to get and have to learn to handle — that’s in the end what I do,” stated Steenkamp.
“Fairly early on, I noticed I didn’t have a standard doctor position, when it comes to how we’re educated in grownup drugs — and I feel that’s what attracted me to the sphere,” stated Steenkamp. “I see myself as a ‘well being coach’ who applies physiology and pharmacology to the habits and lived expertise of somebody with diabetes.”
T1DX-QI and BMC
“My preliminary curiosity in T1DX-QI was largely to have information that we may react to internally,” stated Steenkamp, who defined, “Information helps to tell our observe, take away some biases, and hold us transferring alongside.”
“Till becoming a member of in 2021, I wasn’t conscious of how excessive our CGM use charges have been, and it was validating to see we have been doing properly there. I had no concept we have been leaders on this house as a result of it’s simply what we do on daily basis.”
That stated, “Probably the most phenomenal issues about T1DX-QI is the collaborative nature of the group,” stated Steenkamp, who defined that in tutorial drugs, it’s uncommon for folks to work collectively as freely.
“We’re all scuffling with comparable questions, and it creates a possibility for us to talk immediately. Whereas we’ve totally different environments and affected person populations, info sharing has been a serious profit for BMC,” stated Steenkamp. “Having a bunch of individuals pushing ahead collectively is invigorating — it motivates everybody.”
“T1DX-QI provides us a possibility to offer some perspective and management — and to acknowledge areas we will enhance upon. Even when it’s a sluggish course of and each middle has totally different challenges, in the end, we assist to maneuver care ahead for the group at giant,” stated Steenkamp.
What’s your drive behind diabetes analysis?
“If somebody have been to outline what we do externally, it might be that at BMC, we’re one of some locations within the nation which are — at a excessive degree and a excessive quantity — utilizing diabetes know-how in minoritized and underserved adults with T1D,” stated Steenkamp.
“Over 80% of our grownup sufferers with T1D are utilizing CGMs, which is uncommon in a security web atmosphere,” defined Steenkamp. “It’s taken a very long time and lots of arduous work to get our program to this place.”
“Being that we’re significantly good at know-how, it’s our focus and an space that we contribute to analysis,” stated Steenkamp, who’s working alongside Dr. Wolpert and with collaborators at Albert Einstein College of Medication and Northwestern Feinberg College of Medication on an NIH funded research that kicked off in January 2024 to check three automated insulin supply pump techniques in adults with T1D: the Insulet, OmniPod 5, and Tandem t:slim X2 with Management-IQ.
“We’re randomizing individuals who’re naive to closed loop/AID techniques with the intent to know the implications of those techniques, person experiences, and the nuances that form machine selections for various populations,” defined Steenkamp.
“Our intention isn’t to say, ‘one pump is healthier than the opposite,’ it’s extra about understanding system implications, what sufferers have to consider, and why somebody would choose one machine as a substitute of one other,” stated Steenkamp, who additionally participates in trade research with numerous diabetes applied sciences, together with AID techniques in underserved folks dwelling with diabetes.
What’s your hope for the way forward for diabetes care?
“I feel we want extra pleasure and capability for folks to come back into endocrinology. That’s high of thoughts for me, particularly with how shortly the sphere is transferring ahead and the complexity and pleasure that comes with the know-how,” stated Steenkamp, a faithful mentor to endocrinology trainees and junior college.
“This is probably not on the forefront of everybody’s thoughts, however from the affected person’s perspective, how they’re going to get the standard care they want — on the degree they want — worries me. There are merely not sufficient endocrinologists within the pipeline,” stated Steenkamp.
“What kind of diabetes care will my daughter, who was recognized with diabetes final summer season, obtain when she’s an grownup? Will or not it’s from an endocrinologist who not solely understands the newest advances within the discipline but in addition ‘will get her’ as an individual and values what’s vital to her?”
“That’s why I’m involved about creating the following era of endocrinologists,” stated Steenkamp. “As a fellow, I solely had one affected person with T1D utilizing a tool, and I needed to search out alternatives at a distinct institute to be taught— and I feel that’s an issue we’re starting to deal with within the discipline with extra studying alternatives for trainees to develop the data and talent set wanted to succeed.”
“Prescribing a pump doesn’t imply that an individual goes to do properly. Success is present in how know-how is utilized to an individual’s life. That’s why mentoring is a giant a part of what I nonetheless do immediately.”
What do you love to do outdoors of labor?
Outdoors of labor, Dr. Steenkamp enjoys spending time along with his household and as a musician, taking part in the saxophone, piano, and guitar. You’ll probably discover him in an ice hockey rink or one other sports activities venue, supporting his children’ athletic endeavors or cheering for his South African rugby workforce.
The submit Meet the Knowledgeable: Constructing a Tech Program in an Underserved Hospital appeared first on T1D Trade.