The Leadership Sinai Centre for Diabetes (LSCD) has joined with community partners to design and implement several innovative educational projects that have had an impact at the local, provincial and national levels.

In response to the new funding provided by the Ontario government for insulin pumps for people with type 1 diabetes, the LSCD expanded its comprehensive pump program to accommodate the large influx of new pump users. Recognized as a leader in insulin pump therapy, the centre has recently designed and delivered insulin pump workshops for health care providers to the Northern Diabetes Health Network.

To complement our diabetes management practicums which were taught throughout the community, a Certified Diabetes Educator preparation day was introduced to assist new and re-qualifying educators to prepare for their certification examination. Also, our national educational program, in partnership with Shoppers Drug Mart, has been evaluated with very successful results. This program, designed and facilitated by the LSCD clinical staff, assists pharmacists in their development of diabetes management skills and in their preparation for their certification examination.  It was offered in a unique format through an eight-week series via the Internet and teleconference.

In collaboration with the Canadian Diabetes Association, the clinical team has updated self-management educational manuals for health care providers entitled  Building Competency in Diabetes Education: The Essentials and Building Competency in Diabetes Education: Advanced Practice.  These manuals have been recognized as major reference resources for diabetes educators in Canada.

Striving for seamless and integrated care from family physician through to specialist care, joint patient rounds have been initiated with our Mount Sinai  Family Health Care Team. This unique collaborative venture has contributed to an increase in communication and timely interventions, improving the accessibility and quality of care.

In addition to being a leader in the clinical care of persons affected by diabetes, the LSCD also has a major research focus with a number of ongoing, innovative research projects.  The LSCD endeavours to understand both the normal state and the biological process leading to the development of diabetes.   The broad scope of the research projects will lead to advancements in the early detection and more effective prevention and treatment of diabetes and its complications.

The translation of the research projects to clinical care will set best practice diabetes management and enhance the quality of life of persons affected by diabetes.

In the past year our focus has been on the following studies:

EDIC:  Epidemiology of Diabetes and Complications. This is the multi-centre long-term follow up of people participating in the landmark Diabetes Control and Complications Trial.  Over 1,400 people have been followed, some of whom have been in the study for over 25 years.

GAP:  Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Acute Phase Bio-Markers. This investigator-driven study is assessing women during and after pregnancy.  With in excess of 1,000 women already enrolled, it will provide invaluable information about the underlying causes responsible for diabetes and therefore enhance our knowledge for early prevention.

BEST:  Sitagliptin and the Preservation of Beta-Cell Function in Type 2 Diabetes. Another investigator-initiated study looking at the effects of selected pharmaceutical agents on the preservation of beta cell function.  The preliminary results of this study will be presented at an international conference next year, giving us a heightened insight into new treatment methods for type 2 diabetes.

New Insulin Study:  The evaluation of newly developed insulin continues as a promising research program for people with diabetes who require insulin.

CANOE:  Canadian Normoglycemia Outcomes and Evaluation. This study is in the final phase of a five-year protocol looking at preventing the development of diabetes in those at risk with the use of a low-dose combination medication used to treat diabetes.

Epi CANOE:  Epidemiologic follow up of all persons screened for participation in CANOE who did not qualify for CANOE but agreed to be followed for an extended period.  This will give us new information on the group of people who are at high risk of developing diabetes.

Incretin Therapies for diabetes:  We are involved in a series of studies designed to evaluate this new and innovative approach to treating diabetes.

Diabetes and Pregnancy:  We continue to study the impact of diabetes on pregnancy outcomes for both mother and newborns.

In summary, the LSCD continues to be involved in innovative research supported by major granting agencies and resulting in high-impact peer review publications.