ABSTRACT
Introduction: Diabetes self-management education and lifestyle interventions are the cornerstones of type 2 diabetes (T2D) care; however, the higher risk of comorbidities among youth with T2D requires a comprehensive care model. Traditionally, sub-specialty care relies on a referral model placing the burden on patients/families. In response, we developed a pediatric T2D multidisciplinary clinic (MDC)-A single physical location where patients can access various sub-specialists. The goals of the MDC are to aid with lifestyle modifications and provide referral/access to sub-specialists within the MDC, as determined through screening labs and assessment tools. Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of youth seen in the T2D MDC clinic at Cincinnati Children's Hospital from 1/2020 to 12/2021. We evaluated the frequency that youth met with each specialist and completion rates of annual screening labs. Results: The cohort consisted of 227 youth with T2D (mean age 17.6 years, mean BMI 40.9kg/m2, 64% female, 50% Black or African American, 65% public insurance). All patients met with a diabetes provider and 81.2% met with a registered dietitian/certified diabetes education specialist. Exercise physiology met with 51.5% of patients, gastroenterology met with 34.8% of patients, social work met with 44.1% of patients, clinical psychology met with 27.3% of patients, and bariatric surgery met with 9.7% of patients. Percent completion of annual labs were: 98.2% for HbA1c, 84.6% for urine microalbumin, 83.7% for lipids, 90% for liver function, 59.5% for retinopathy, and 45.4% for the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Conclusion: The majority of patients received diabetes and nutrition education and annual screening labs. Exercise counseling and sub-specialty care remain below 60% in part due to services not being available at every MDC. Our goals are to increase access to subspecialty care within the MDC's and consider additional care delivery methods to provide comprehensive care to youth with T2D.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The Flexible Lifestyle Empowering Change Study (FLEX) is a multi-site randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of an adaptive behavioral intervention to promote self-management and improve glycemic control for adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus. A two-step recruitment process was used to optimize study retention by facilitating informed decision-making regarding participation. METHODS: Those who expressed interest at first contact were given more detailed study information followed by telephone calls to the adolescents and their parents to answer questions and explore potential barriers to participation before making a decision regarding study enrollment. RESULTS: Of 694 eligible adolescents who were invited to participate, 397 (57.2%) expressed interest when initially contacted (Step 1). Upon completion of the follow-up telephone calls (Step 2), 276 (39.8%) still agreed to participate; and 258 (37.2%) enrolled and completed a baseline visit with a parent/guardian. Completion rates for measurement visits remained high throughout the study, with an end-of-study retention rate of 93.4%; and only 12 (4.7%) families withdrew from the study. CONCLUSION: The two-step recruitment process encourages potential participants to thoughtfully evaluate their willingness to participate, as well as their ability to make a commitment to the full completion of study requirements. When demonstrating the efficacy of a randomized controlled trial, it may be preferable to accept lower recruitment rates in order to optimize retention rates. The additional time and effort required to implement this two-step process is worthwhile. With a high retention rate, we can be more confident that the outcomes of the randomized controlled trial actually reflect the impact of the intervention.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Depression is common among adolescents, but rates increase significantly in the presence of chronic health conditions. Outpatient screening for depression is recommended but rarely formally conducted due to barriers of implementation. METHODS: To provide a model for depression screening of youth with chronic health conditions, a standard process using a self-administered electronic version of the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) was developed. Quality improvement methodology and traditional analytic approaches were used to test the feasibility and outcomes of routine screening in patients 13 to 17 years of age with type 1 diabetes. RESULTS: Of the 528 eligible adolescents, 509 (96%) received at least 1 depression screen during the first year. The process was tested and refined in over 1200 patient encounters, which resulted in an increase in depression screening rates from <5% to a median of 85% over the initial 12 months. Both patients and staff reported acceptance of screening on qualitative surveys. Elevated CDI scores (≥ 16) were found in 8% of the sample; moderate scores (10-15) in 12% of the sample. Low risk scores were found in 80% of the sample. Higher CDI scores correlated with lower blood glucose monitoring frequency and higher hemoglobin A1c, confirming the link between more depression symptoms and poorer diabetes management and control. Suicidal ideation was endorsed in 7% of the population. CONCLUSIONS: Systematic depression screening in adolescents with type 1 diabetes can be reliably implemented with clinically significant results. A systematic approach, such as described in this study, can serve as a model for other chronic health conditions.
