Diabetes is a complex chronic condition that requires ongoing self-management. People with diabetes (PWD) and their caregivers (ie, parent) spend less than 1% of their time in a year visiting with their diabetes health care provider (HCP). 1,2 As a result, PWD and their caregivers troubleshoot day-today activities on their own. It is estimated PWD spend 8000 hours per year self-managing their diabetes outside of the medical setting. 1 The Diabetes, Attitudes, Wishes and Needs Second Study (DAWN2) suggests PWD feel that their HCPs aren't always available to provide patient-centered care related to their diabetes. 3 This lack of support, intensity of diabetes management, and social stigma can be associated with burnout, diabetes distress, 4 higher hemoglobin A1C (A1C) and body mass index. 5 In 831042D STXXX10.

BackgroundDiabetes self-management is complex and demanding, and isolation and burnout are common experiences. The Internet provides opportunities for people with diabetes to connect with one another to address these challenges. The aims of this paper are to introduce readers to the platforms on which Diabetes Online Community (DOC) participants interact, to discuss reasons for and risks associated with diabetes-related online activity, and to review research related to the potential impact of DOC participation on diabetes outcomes.MethodsResearch and online content related to diabetes online activity is reviewed, and DOC writing excerpts are used to illustrate key themes. Guidelines for meaningful participation in DOC activities for people with diabetes, families, health care providers, and industry are provided.ResultsCommon themes around DOC participation include peer support, advocacy, self-expression, seeking and sharing diabetes information, improving approaches to diabetes data management, and humor. Potential risks include access to misinformation and threats to individuals’ privacy, though there are limited data on negative outcomes resulting from such activities. Likewise, few data are available regarding the impact of DOC involvement on glycemic outcomes, but initial research suggests a positive impact on emotional experiences, attitudes toward diabetes, and engagement in diabetes management behaviors.ConclusionThe range of DOC participants, activities, and platforms is growing rapidly. The Internet provides opportunities to strengthen communication and support among individuals with diabetes, their families, health care providers, the health care industry, policy makers, and the general public. Research is needed to investigate the impact of DOC participation on self-management, quality of life, and glycemic control, and to design and evaluate strategies to maximize its positive impact.

The significant and growing global prevalence of diabetes continues to challenge people with diabetes (PwD), healthcare providers and payers. While maintaining near-normal glucose levels has been shown to prevent or delay the progression of the long-term complications of diabetes, a significant proportion of PwD are not attaining their glycemic goals. During the past six years, we have seen tremendous advances in automated insulin delivery (AID) technologies. Numerous randomized controlled trials and real-world studies have shown that the use of AID systems is safe and effective in helping PwD achieve their long-term glycemic goals while reducing hypoglycemia risk. Thus, AID systems have recently become an integral part of diabetes management. However, recommendations for using AID systems in clinical settings have been lacking. Such guided recommendations are critical for AID success and acceptance. All clinicians working with PwD need to become familiar with the available systems in order to eliminate disparities in diabetes quality of care. This report provides much-needed guidance for clinicians who are interested in utilizing AIDs and presents a comprehensive listing of the evidence payers should consider when determining eligibility criteria for AID insurance coverage.

BackgroundWith rising incidence of type 1 diabetes (T1D) diagnoses among children and the high levels of distress experienced by the caregivers of these children, caregiver support is becoming increasingly important. Historically, relatively few support resources have existed. Increasing use of the Internet, and blogs in particular, has seen a growth of peer support between caregivers of children with T1D. However, little is known about the type and quality of information shared on T1D caregiver blogs. At the same time, the information on such blogs offers a new window into what challenges and successes caregivers experience in helping to manage their children’s T1D.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to (1) analyze blogs of caregivers to children with T1D to better understand the challenges and successes they face in raising a child with T1D, and (2) assess the blogs for the presence of unsafe or inaccurate clinical information or advice.MethodsAn inductive thematic qualitative study was conducted of three blogs authored by caregivers of children living with T1D, which included 140 unique blog posts and 663 associated comments. Two physician investigators evaluated the blogs for presence of clinical or medical misinformation.ResultsFive major themes emerged: (1) the impact of the child’s diagnosis, (2) the burden of intense self-management experienced in caring for a child with T1D, (3) caregivers’ use of technology to ease their fear of hypoglycemia and impacts that device alarms associated with this technology have on caregiver burden, (4) caregivers’ perceptions of frequently missed or delayed diagnosis of T1D and the frustration this causes, and (5) the resilience that caregivers develop despite the burdens they experience. Misinformation was exceedingly rare and benign when it did occur.ConclusionsBlog analysis represents a novel approach to understand the T1D caregiver’s experience. This qualitative study found many challenges that caregivers face in raising a child with T1D. Despite the many barriers caregivers face in managing their children’s T1D, they find support through advocacy efforts and peer-to-peer blogging. Blogs provide a unique avenue for support, with only rare and benign findings of medical misinformation, and may be a resource that diabetes care providers can consider offering to families for support.

Background There is compelling evidence on the impact of diet as preventative medicine, and with rising health care costs healthcare organizations are attempting to identify interventions to improve patient health outcomes. Objectives The purpose of this systematic scoping review was to characterize existing healthcare organization–based interventions to improve access to fruits and vegetables (F&V) for their patient populations. In addition, we aimed to review the impact of identified interventions on dietary intake and health outcomes. Methods Titles and abstracts were searched in PubMed® (MEDLINE®), Embase®, CINAHL®, and the Cochrane Library® from 1 January 1990 to 31 December 2019. To be selected for inclusion, original studies must have included a healthcare organization and have had a programmatic focus on increasing access to or providing fresh F&V to patients in an outpatient, naturalistic setting. The Effective Public Health Practice Project tool was used to assess study quality in 6 domains (selection bias, study design, confounders, blinding, data collection methods, and withdrawals and dropouts). Results A total of 8876 abstracts were screened, yielding 44 manuscripts or abstracts from 27 programs. Six program models were identified: 1) a cash-back rebate program, 2) F&V voucher programs, 3) garden-based programs, 4) subsidized food box programs, 5) home-delivery meal programs, and 6) collaborative food pantry–clinical programs. Only 6 of 27 studies included a control group. The overall quality of the studies was weak due to participant selection bias and incomplete reporting on data collection tools, confounders, and dropouts. Given the heterogeneity of outcomes measured and weak study quality, conclusions regarding dietary and health-related outcomes were limited. Conclusions Healthcare-based initiatives to improve patient access to F&V are novel and have promise. However, future studies will need rigorous study designs and validated data collection tools, particularly related to dietary intake, to better determine the effect of these interventions on health-related outcomes.

Mistreatment based on specialty choice is a distinct and common phenomenon perpetuated by faculty, residents, and peers. More research is needed to explore the potential hidden curriculum drivers of these findings and to develop interventions specifically targeting this type of mistreatment.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate feasibility of initiating continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) through telehealth as a means of expanding access. Adults with type 1 diabetes (N=27) or type 2 diabetes using insulin (N=7) and interest in starting CGM selected a CGM system (Dexcom G6 or Abbott FreeStyle Libre), which they received by mail. CGM was initiated with a certified diabetes care and education specialist providing instruction via videoconference or phone. The primary outcome was days per week of CGM use during the last four weeks. HbA1c was measured at baseline and 12 weeks. Participant self-reported outcome measures were also evaluated. All 34 participants (mean age 46 ± 18 years; 53% female, 85% white) were using CGM at 12 weeks, with 94% using CGM at least six days/week in weeks 9-12. Mean HbA1c decreased from 8.3 ± 1.6 at baseline to 7.2 ± 1.3 at 12 weeks (P<0.001) and mean time in range (70-180 mg/dL, 3.9-10.0 mmol/L) increased from an estimated 48% ± 18% to 59% ± 20% (P<0.001), an increase of ~2.7 hours/day. Substantial benefits of CGM to quality of life were observed, with reduced diabetes distress, increased satisfaction with glucose monitoring and fewer perceived technology barriers to management. Remote CGM initiation was successful in achieving sustained use and improving glycemic control after 12 weeks as well as improving quality of life indicators. If widely implemented, this telehealth approach could substantially increase the adoption of CGM and potentially improve glycemic control for people with diabetes using insulin.

Background Of the estimated 23.1 million individuals diagnosed with diabetes, approximately 5% have type 1 diabetes (T1D). It has been proposed that this number will triple by 2050. With increases in technology use and resources available, many individuals are using insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) to help manage their T1D. They are also using online resources such as social media to find more information and advice based on real-life experiences from peers. Blogs are a particular social media modality often used by people with T1D but have not been widely investigated. Objective The purpose of this study was to assess glycated hemoglobin (HbA 1c ) differences between blog readers and blog nonusers in a population of adults with T1D. This study also looked at differences in technology use in these two groups, as well as HbA 1c differences in blog use and technology subgroups. Methods Participants were recruited both by mail and by online T1D-themed blog postings. Respondents completed a secure online eligibility assessment and were asked questions related to their T1D, blog and internet use, and insulin pump and CGM use. Demographics were also collected. Differences between blog readers and blog nonusers were tested via chi-square and t tests. Mann-Whitney U tests, Fisher exact tests, and analyses of variance (ANOVA) were used to test for differences in self-reported HbA 1c between groups and subgroups. Results A total of 282 eligible participants completed the survey (214 blog readers, 68 blog nonusers). Average duration of diabetes was 21.2 years, 77.7% (219/282) were female, 81.2% (229/282) used an insulin pump, 66.3% (187/282) used a CGM, and 95.7% (270/282) were white. HbA 1c was lower for blog readers (7.0%) than blog nonusers (7.5%), P =.006; for insulin pump users (7.0%) than multiple daily injections (7.7%), P =.001; and for CGM users (7.0%) than CGM nonusers (7.5%), P =.001. After adjusting for significant covariates, the association between blog use and HbA 1c remained significant ( P =.04). ANOVA modeling also demonstrated significant differences in HbA 1c between blog users and nonusers among subgroups by pump use and CGM use ( P <.001). Conclusions These results suggest that reading blogs is associated with lower HbA 1c values. While association does not prove causation, blog readers have the benefit of learning information from peers and having 24/7 access to a community of individuals with similar daily life struggles, where they are able to ask questions and seek advice.