Diabetes and school: Tidepool is connecting the community

Sending children to school with diabetes can feel extremely daunting. Everyone has the same goal: providing children with the best possible experience at school. But it takes a village, so let’s get all the people involved in making sure they can thrive in one room. This back to school webinar will provide insight on preparing to send children back to school safely with diabetes by facilitating a conversation with all the stakeholders involved including a healthcare provider, a school nurse, and a parent.

Tidepool is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to make diabetes data more accessible, meaningful, and actionable. Learn more about Tidepool at https://tidepool.org

0:00: Introductions.
4:10: What is important for back to school prep for families.
7:35: Coordination with the school nurses and expectation management for parents to help them understand what diabetes at school will look like.
11:08: Overview of how Orange County (CA) school districts manage diabetes at school.
12:48: Parent perspective on planning for school and how having type 1 diabetes has an influence.
17:40: Workflow to determine orders for individual patients and finding the balance between flexibility and a framework for the nurses and schools to work within.
22:20: Does this framework change every year especially in the context of new diabetes technology like CGMs and now AID systems?
27:05: Specifics around school nurses using a follow app and implementing an action to be taken.
28:40: Writing medical orders in a way that can be implemented.
30:00: Understanding the difference between how things are done at home vs. at school.
33:38: Recommendations for parents regarding adjusting settings for school.
37:20: Why technology is better for teachers and school nurses despite it being ‘more work’.
41:30: Complexity of diabetes management at school with additional considerations for puberty and hormonal fluctuations.
47:55: Finding places for flexibility and options within the framework of doctor’s orders to keep students safe.
52:46: The need for medical orders, legal/civil rights of students with diabetes and the transformation of diabetes care at school in Orange County (CA).
56:45: Final words from speakers