Sarah C. Westen, Ph.D., Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of Diabetes Behavioral Medicine and Psychology in the Department of Clinical and Health Psychology at the University of Florida, leads the Psychosocial Subcommittee of the American Diabetes Association’s Youth Strategies Committee, which developed a video project over the past two years with the goal of “building provider-level understanding of the psychosocial impact of living with diabetes for children, young adults and families.” By talking to stakeholders, including children and their families, physicians, psychologists, nurses, certified diabetes educators, and medical assistants, the team homed in on common communication problems in the clinic setting. Then, they developed a video vignette series to train clinic providers on how to use more inclusive language to promote behavioral change in diabetes management.
In the symposium entitled Improving Inclusive Care in Pediatric Diabetes Clinics – ADA Youth Strategies Committee Symposium, presented during the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions in San Diego this June, Dr. Westen showcased the video project and presented two talks aimed at teaching providers practical strategies to improve use of inclusive language and enhance communication between medical teams and children and families in the clinic setting.
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