Devin Steenkamp is an endocrinologist at Boston Medical Heart and Assistant Professor of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Vitamin, and Weight Administration at Boston College Chobanian and Avedisian Faculty of Drugs. Dr. Steenkamp is the Director of the Medical Diabetes Program at Boston Medical Heart and serves because the T1D Change High quality Enchancment Collaborative (T1DX-QI) website PI for grownup T1D endocrinology at Boston Medical Heart.
Interview with Devin Steenkamp, MD
On this interview, Dr. Steenkamp discusses his involvement with the T1DX-QI as a diabetologist and physician-scientist whose medical apply and analysis are centered on the usage of diabetes expertise in underserved populations.
The T1DX-QI was established in 2016 — with the help of The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Belief — to refine greatest practices and enhance the standard of care and outcomes for people dwelling with T1D. Development has been great, with 62 endocrine clinics from throughout the U.S. taking part within the Collaborative.
Fueled by prime leaders in diabetes care, the T1DX-QI has grow 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 method to diabetes administration.
With members working intently to establish gaps in care, uncover and refine greatest practices, and share analysis — the method has grow to be knowledge-sharing at its best. Whereas collated knowledge offers 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 college on the College of Pretoria in South Africa, I labored in a non-public apply 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 wished to be a rugged, individualistic clinician that would 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 apply. I actually loved working with these sufferers, and I knew I wished 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 yr of endocrinology fellowship, I had the chance to work with one other South African endocrinologist, Howard Wolpert, within the world-renowned diabetes expertise program he established at Joslin. Howard has been a beautiful 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 expertise program in an underserved, security internet 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 ‘essential 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, supplies 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 truthfully don’t assume that had a lot to do with my curiosity,” stated Steenkamp. “Nevertheless, witnessing her self-sufficiency and self-discipline, due partly to the grounding, help, and foundational schooling she obtained quickly after prognosis, has helped to border the best way I take into consideration diabetes and form my method to apply.”
Are you able to describe your function as an endocrinologist centered on T1D care?
“As a diabetologist, I assist folks to dwell their greatest lives with a situation that they didn’t need to get and have to learn to handle — that’s finally what I do,” stated Steenkamp.
“Fairly early on, I noticed I didn’t have a conventional doctor function, by way of how we’re skilled 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 conduct and lived expertise of somebody with diabetes.”
T1DX-QI and BMC
“My preliminary curiosity in T1DX-QI was largely to have knowledge that we may react to internally,” stated Steenkamp, who defined, “Knowledge helps to tell our apply, take away some biases, and preserve us shifting 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 effectively there. I had no thought we have been leaders on this house as a result of it’s simply what we do day-after-day.”
That stated, “One of the 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 fighting comparable questions, and it creates a chance for us to talk immediately. Whereas we’ve got completely different environments and affected person populations, data sharing has been a serious profit for BMC,” stated Steenkamp. “Having a gaggle of individuals pushing ahead collectively is invigorating — it motivates everybody.”
“T1DX-QI offers us a chance to offer some perspective and management — and to acknowledge areas we will enhance upon. Even when it’s a gradual course of and each heart has completely different challenges, finally, we assist to maneuver care ahead for the group at massive,” stated Steenkamp.
What’s your drive behind diabetes analysis?
“If somebody have been to outline what we do externally, it could be that at BMC, we’re one of some locations within the nation which might be — at a excessive degree and a excessive quantity — utilizing diabetes expertise 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 internet surroundings,” defined Steenkamp. “It’s taken a very long time and loads of exhausting work to get our program to this place.”
“Being that we’re notably good at expertise, 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 Faculty of Drugs and Northwestern Feinberg Faculty of Drugs on an NIH funded examine 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 contributors who’re naive to closed loop/AID techniques with the intent to know the implications of those techniques, consumer experiences, and the nuances that form gadget decisions for various populations,” defined Steenkamp.
“Our intention isn’t to say, ‘one pump is best than the opposite,’ it’s extra about understanding system implications, what sufferers have to consider, and why somebody would choose one gadget as an alternative 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 prime of thoughts for me, particularly with how shortly the sphere is shifting ahead and the complexity and pleasure that comes with the expertise,” stated Steenkamp, a loyal mentor to endocrinology trainees and junior school.
“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 sort of diabetes care will my daughter, who was recognized with diabetes final summer season, obtain when she’s an grownup? Will it’s from an endocrinologist who not solely understands the most recent advances within the area but additionally ‘will get her’ as an individual and values what’s essential to her?”
“That’s why I’m involved about growing the subsequent 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 special institute to be taught— and I feel that’s an issue we’re starting to handle within the area with extra studying alternatives for trainees to develop the data and ability set wanted to succeed.”
“Prescribing a pump doesn’t imply that an individual goes to do effectively. Success is present in how expertise is utilized to an individual’s life. That’s why mentoring is an enormous a part of what I nonetheless do at the moment.”
What do you love to do outdoors of labor?
Exterior 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 staff.
The submit Meet the Professional: Constructing a Tech Program in an Underserved Hospital appeared first on T1D Change.