By Doménica Carpio Key takeaways:
- EASD 2024 saw substantial online activity from HCPs worldwide, with a notable contribution from HCPs from UK and India.
- Key sessions such as Roy Taylor’s Claude Bernard Lecture and Chantal Mathieu’s Presidential Address drove the highest engagement among HCPs.
- The wider public also engaged online, particularly with accounts like #dedoc° and Diabetologia, which were central to discussions about diabetes management and advocacy.
- While diabetes (both type 1 and type 2) was the primary focus of online discussions among HCPs, there was also significant attention given to a variety of other diseases, including obesity and cardiovascular conditions.
Last year, the CREATION team attended EASD 2023 and analysed the online behaviours of healthcare professionals (HCPs) and people living with diabetes discussing the conference. To learn more about what happened last year, check out our analysis here. This year, we were back at EASD 2024, continuing our analysis to track trends and gather insights into the online conversations and engagement surrounding the event.
HCP online engagement at EASD 2024
In the lead-up to EASD 2024, HCPs were already posting online in anticipation of the event, with 24 posts recorded before the conference even began. By September 9th, many HCPs had begun sharing their experiences from Madrid, posting photos and highlighting key sessions. Early HCP discussions, which included 122 posts, covered topics like the SCORE2-Diabetes tool for personalised 10-year cardiovascular risk estimates, targeting MASLD for CVD prevention, and the impact of body weight variability on cardiovascular risk.
Online conversations ranged from reconnecting with colleagues to diving into key healthcare discussions, setting the stage for a highly engaged conference that would eventually see 1,784 posts on X (Formerly Twitter) and 60 LinkedIn post generated by 350 HCPs by the end of the event.
On September 10th, there was a notable spike in online conversations driven by three key sessions. The Claude Bernard Lecture by Roy Taylor generated the most engagement with 79 posts by HCPs. Following closely was Chantal Mathieu’s Presidential Address,with 67 posts from HCPs and finally, the Diabetes India Symposia with 42 HCP posts.
A diabetologist from India, Amit Gupta, captured the day as follows: “Day 2 of #EASD2024 was dominated by Roy Taylor’s powerful insights on diabetes remission & Chantal Mathieu’s inspiring presidential address. Feeling proud to see the Diabetes India Symposia standing out after the masterly lectures.”
Throughout the conference, more than 100 presentations and discussions took place, with HCPs engaging in online conversations about various diseases in around 1,000 posts. Naturally, diabetes (both type 1 and type 2) was the most discussed disease, mentioned by over 200 HCPs. However, the discussions extended beyond diabetes, with obesity, cardiovascular disease, MASLD, neuropathy, and more also receiving significant attention.
Within these online conversations, HCPs explored topics like comparing insulin treatments in T2D, personalised care in diabetes management, the impact of maternal stress in pregnancy and T1D in offspring, GLP1-RA’s role in cardiovascular risk reduction and obesity, and many other crucial topics.
HCPs frequently tagged online accounts like EASD and EASD e-learning while sharing research updates. Most shared posts from HCPs when mentioning EASD included the SCALE Kids trial on liraglutide for children with obesity, discussed in 20 posts; continuous glucose monitoring advancements, discussed in 28 posts; studies on insulin delivery methods discussed in 53 posts.
Additionally, HCPs frequently acknowledged their peers, with Endocrinologist Shashank Joshi being the most mentioned this year, followed by Amit Gupta.
HCPs from around the world participated in the conference, with the UK and India leading in activity. HCPs from the UK contributed to 26% of the online conversation, while HCPs from India accounted for 15%. Notably, 4 of the top 10 most active HCPs were from India, with Physician Harpal Malhotra standing out due to his 155 original posts.
The most widely shared post by HCPs was from The Lancet, “Muscle matters: the effects of medically induced weight loss on skeletal muscle”, with 61 shares, followed closely by a study from the New England Journal of Medicine on insulin efsitora alfa, which received 40 shares.
In terms of manufacturers, Novo Nordisk was the most mentioned by HCPs, usually discussing the Novo Nordisk Foundation Future Leaders Award and sharing the company’s EASD updates. In second place was Eli Lilly, with 18 HCP mentions, primarily focusing on the future of diabetes management and weight control.
Wider public online engagement at EASD 2024
Wider public, including individuals with diabetes, were also highly active online, contributing 2,990 posts on X (Formerly Twitter) from 920 authors. Their engagement highlighted personal experiences and insights related to the conference.
Snehal Nandagawli, a diabetes advocate living with T1D, was the top author among non-HCPs with 104 posts. She shared about “Making an invisible condition visible”, and multiple updates on the #dedoc° Symposium.
Rachel Ann Connor, the second most active author also highlighted, “[N]ot a person with diabetes myself, but representing JDRF UK…I’m delighted to be able to provide updates that people who do live with the condition may find useful.”
The wider public often tagged various accounts in their posts. Unlike HCP conversations which mostly mentioned EASD, the #dedoc° account was the second most referenced. Discussions around #dedoc° included statements like, “We hope to have no more limits in the future – advocating for a modern approach to diabetes management,” and updates such as, “And EVEN MORE exciting! @professorcm announces a new collaboration with @dedocORG to establish a PWD advisory board. So very proud to be #dedoc°!”
Diabetologia also appeared prominently, with 149 mentions. The wider public highlighted their lived experiences of Type 1 diabetes shared during the Diabetologia session, and 60% of these posts also shared about the journal’s 2024 special issue on diabetes technology.
Additionally, the wider public often referenced the HCPs they follow. Endocrinologist and Diabetologist, Partha Kar was the most mentioned HCP, with many resharing his content and tagging him in posts about combating the stigma around diabetes and the impact of language.
The online activity around EASD 2024 highlights the importance of tracking and understanding online conversations to make the most of medical congress. By understanding the key topics, influential voices, and active participants, organisations can gain valuable insights into how to effectively connect with both HCPs and the broader diabetes community.
For a better understanding on how to apply these findings and maximise your congress impact, explore our resources such as Personalised cardiovascular care gets HCPs talking about stroke ahead of ESC, At the 84th annual ADA Congress, obesity got HCPs talking online, our new tool, DOL finder, or get in touch.
If you would like a personalised HCP insights deep-dive on EASD or any congress, talk with us today about our congress tracking service.
