Overcoming Barriers to Diabetes Management in Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes by Leveraging Telehealth: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE: The LIFT-YA (leveraging intensive follow-up treatment in young adults) quality improvement program was developed to address clinical and social barriers in young adults (YA) with type 1 diabetes (T1D), using telehealth visits to promote clinic attendance and improve diabetes care. METHODS: LIFT-YA enrolled YA aged 18-30 with T1D and HbA1c >8% (64 mmol/mol) who had established adult care in our diabetes clinic. The 6-month, 7-visit hybrid program was facilitated by a case manager serving as the liaison between participants and the care team. The primary end-points were within-group and between-group changes from the baseline in HbA1c at the last visit and adoption of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). RESULTS: Of the 57 eligible YA, 24 were enrolled and 33 were unable to participate (UTP). Thirteen of the enrolled participants attended at least 4/7 visits ("completers", C), whereas 11 were noncompleters (NC). HbA1c at the end of the program was significantly lower in the C versus UTP group [median -1.0; IQR (-0.6, -2.5) vs -0.25 (0.2, -1.0) in UTP; P < .05]. The percentage of CGM users significantly increased by 70% in the C group (P < .05), but did not change in the NC and UTP groups. Limited access to telehealth and the high cost of frequent visits were the main hurdles preventing enrollment into or completion of the program. CONCLUSIONS: The LIFT-YA pathway was associated with a significant HbA1c reduction and an increase in the adoption of CGM. Policy changes are necessary to expand access to LIFT-YA and other programs for high-risk YA with T1D in underserved communities and across all backgrounds.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring and Glycemic Control in Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes: Benefit for Even the Simplest Insulin Administration Methods.

The impact of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) on glycemic control in young adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) is controversial. Data from 888 young adults with T1D were reviewed (ages 18-30 years, 52% female, glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c] 8.1% ± 1.5%). Prescription of CGM was recorded for 54% of young adults; 66% were pump users, 46% on insulin injections and carbohydrate (carb) counting, and 32% on insulin doses without carb counting (P ≤ 0.001). HbA1c was lower in young adults with CGM versus no CGM (7.7% ± 1.3% vs. 8.2% ± 1.7%, P ≤ 0.001). Difference in HbA1c between CGM versus no CGM was greater in young adults noncarb counting (7.9% ± 1.4% vs. 8.9% ± 2.3%, P = 0.002) than carb counting (7.7% ± 1.5% vs. 8.2% ± 1.7%, P = 0.0008), or pump users (7.6 ± 1.2 vs. 7.9 ± 1.1, P = 0.01). Prescription of CGM was higher with increasing complexity of insulin regimens; however, impact of CGM was greatest with simpler insulin administration methods. Further studies are needed to clarify this association.