National nonprofit presents research on intentionally varied peer support and medication adherence at AACE and Society for Behavioral Medicine
RALEIGH, NC, UNITED STATES, April 23, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — DiabetesSisters, the national nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of women living with and at risk of diabetes, announced its participation in two prominent medical conferences taking place this week. The organization will present research and program outcomes highlighting the power of community mutual support in diabetes management.
AACE Annual Meeting 2026 | Las Vegas, NV | April 22–24, 2026
DiabetesSisters will be featured in an oral poster presentation titled “Adherence to and Refill of Medications Associated with Community Mutual Support for Women with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes” at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE) Annual Meeting 2026. The presentation examines the relationship between peer community engagement and improved medication adherence among women managing both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
Research conclusions indicate that with DiabetesSisters’ intentionally varied peer community offerings for diabetes self-management education and support, participants reported generally higher adherence to and refills of medications than a norming sample — suggesting that structured peer support may be a useful adjunct to clinical care.
“These findings reinforce what we see every day — that structured peer support is not a soft intervention, it is a clinically relevant one,” said Donna Rice, Chief Clinical Officer of DiabetesSisters and presenter at AACE. “When women with diabetes are connected to an intentionally varied support community, they demonstrate measurably better medication adherence and refill rates. A significant outcome clinicians and endocrinologists should take note of.”
Society for Behavioral Medicine Annual Meeting | Chicago, IL | Panel: “Integrating Peer Support, Community Organization, and Cultural Perspectives for Comprehensive Health Promotion”
DiabetesSisters CCO Donna Rice, M.B.A., R.N., and CEO Michele Polz, B.B.A., will co-present as part of a symposium panel chaired by Edwin Fisher, Ph.D., of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. The DiabetesSisters presentation, “DiabetesSisters: Intentional Variety for Diabetes Self-Management Support in a Community of Women with Diabetes,” will share findings from the organization’s 2024 annual survey of members and program data.
“Our data continues to affirm that when women with diabetes feel seen, supported, and connected, they thrive,” said Michele Polz, CEO of DiabetesSisters. “Presenting at both AACE and SBM this week allows us to share with clinicians, researchers, and public health professionals what our community already knows — that peer support is not supplemental to diabetes care, it is essential to it.”
DiabetesSisters was founded in 2008 by a woman living with Type 1 diabetes during pregnancy and has since grown into a nationally recognized community serving women.
ABOUT DIABETESSISTERS
DiabetesSisters is a women-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that cultivates a supportive and inclusive community where women of all ages with diabetes and women at risk of diabetes can learn and thrive—together. Through educational initiatives and nationwide peer support, we help women navigate their health journeys and find a sense of belonging through diverse experiences.
Kristy Farnoly
DiabetesSisters.org
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