ABSTRACT
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic led to substantial shifts in pediatric diabetes care delivery to virtual and hybrid models. It is unclear if these changes in care delivery impacted short-term patient outcomes. Objectives: We aimed to explore glycemic control and other diabetes-related outcomes in children living with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic at a tertiary pediatric academic center in Canada. Subjects: Patients <18 years of age with a confirmed diagnosis of T1DM for at least one year were included. Methods: This was a retrospective chart review. We compared data from two years pre-pandemic (March 15, 2018-March 14, 2020) to the first year of the pandemic (March 15, 2020-March 14, 2021). The data assessed included glycemic control [Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)], diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), hospital attendance and hospitalizations, hypoglycemia, and hyperglycemia. The generalized estimating equation (GEE) analysis was used to model potential factors affecting the HbA1c and diabetes-related morbidities. Multiple imputations were conducted as a sensitivity analysis. Results: There were 346 eligible patients included in the study. The HbA1c remained stable during the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic phase (MD-0.14, 95% CI, -0.28, 0.01; p = 0.058). The pandemic saw an increase in the number of newly diagnosed patients (X2 = 16.52, p < 0.001) and a higher number of newly diagnosed patients presenting in DKA (X2 = 12.94, p < 0.001). In patients with established diabetes, there was an increase in hyperglycemia (OR1.38, 95% CI, 1.12,1.71; p = 0.003) and reduced DKA (OR 0.30, 95% CI, 0.12,0.73; p = 0.009) during the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic phase. Stable rates of hospitalization (OR0.57, 95% CI, 0.31,1.04, p = 0.068) and hypoglycemia (OR1.11, 95% CI, 0.83,1.49; p = 0.484) were noted. These results were retained in the sensitivity analysis. Conclusions: Glycemic control in children with T1DM remained stable during the first year of the pandemic. There were more newly diagnosed patients during the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic phase, and more of these new patients presented in DKA. The latter presentation was reduced in those with established diabetes during the same period.Further studies are needed to assess the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on T1DM care pathways and outcomes to allow children, families, and diabetes teams to personalize choices of care models.
ABSTRACT
Background The COVID-19 pandemic led to substantial shifts in pediatric diabetes care delivery to virtual and hybrid models. It is unclear if these changes in care delivery impacted short-term patient outcomes. Objectives We aimed to explore glycemic control and other diabetes-related outcomes in children living with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic at a tertiary pediatric academic center in Canada. Subjects Patients <18 years of age with a confirmed diagnosis of T1DM for at least one year were included. Methods This was a retrospective chart review. We compared data from two years pre-pandemic (March 15, 2018–March 14, 2020) to the first year of the pandemic (March 15, 2020–March 14, 2021). The data assessed included glycemic control [Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)], diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), hospital attendance and hospitalizations, hypoglycemia, and hyperglycemia. The generalized estimating equation (GEE) analysis was used to model potential factors affecting the HbA1c and diabetes-related morbidities. Multiple imputations were conducted as a sensitivity analysis. Results There were 346 eligible patients included in the study. The HbA1c remained stable during the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic phase (MD-0.14, 95% CI, −0.28, 0.01;p = 0.058). The pandemic saw an increase in the number of newly diagnosed patients (X2 = 16.52, p < 0.001) and a higher number of newly diagnosed patients presenting in DKA (X2 = 12.94, p < 0.001). In patients with established diabetes, there was an increase in hyperglycemia (OR1.38, 95% CI, 1.12,1.71;p = 0.003) and reduced DKA (OR 0.30, 95% CI, 0.12,0.73;p = 0.009) during the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic phase. Stable rates of hospitalization (OR0.57, 95% CI, 0.31,1.04, p = 0.068) and hypoglycemia (OR1.11, 95% CI, 0.83,1.49;p = 0.484) were noted. These results were retained in the sensitivity analysis. Conclusions Glycemic control in children with T1DM remained stable during the first year of the pandemic. There were more newly diagnosed patients during the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic phase, and more of these new patients presented in DKA. The latter presentation was reduced in those with established diabetes during the same period. Further studies are needed to assess the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on T1DM care pathways and outcomes to allow children, families, and diabetes teams to personalize choices of care models.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Diabetes mellitus is the most common endocrine disorder in children, and the prevalence of paediatric type 1 and type 2 diabetes continue to rise globally. Diabetes clinical care programs pivoted to virtual care with the COVID-19 pandemic-driven social distancing measures. Yet, the impact of virtual care on health-related quality of life in children living with diabetes remains unclear. This protocol reports on the methods that will be implemented to conduct a systematic review to assess the health-related quality of life and metabolic health impacts of virtual diabetes care. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will search MEDLINE, Embase, EMCare, PsycInfo, Web of Science, and the grey literature for eligible studies. We will screen title, abstract, and full-text papers for potential inclusion and assess the risk of bias and the overall confidence in the evidence using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. A meta-analysis will be conducted if two studies report similar populations, study designs, methods, and outcomes.This systematic review will summarise the health-related quality of life outcomes for virtual diabetes care delivery models. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: No ethics approval is required for this systematic review protocol as it does not include patient data. The systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at international conferences. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021235646.