Abstract: Active & Passive Sharing of Diabetes Device Data to Clinics is Associated with Reduced A1C and Decreased DKA Rates
R. Mcdonough1,2, D. Ferro1,2, B. Lockee2, M. Clements1,2
1Children’s Mercy Kansas City, Pediatrics, Kansas City, United States of America, 2Children’s Mercy Kansas City, Pediatric Endocrinology, Kansas City, United States of America
Background and Aims: Reviewing device data is an integral part of routine diabetes care. Streaming or uploading this data prior to in-person or telehealth clinic visits may indicate increased engagement in self-management behaviors. This study aimed to evaluate if having streaming/uploaded data at the start of a clinic visit was associated with improvements in diabetes outcomes.
Methods: Individuals with T1D, aged<23 years, who received care from a single network of pediatric diabetes clinics in the Midwest USA from 3/2020 to 11/2021 were included. Up-loading prior to the start of a clinic visit or having streaming data from at least one diabetes device defined the ‘‘connected’’ group. Sharing classification was recorded by CDE as part of routine visit documentation.
Results: Observations from 2116 unique individuals living with T1D were included in the analysis. Of which, 1063 had shared data at the time of their visit (50.2%). Mean A1c was statistically lower in those who were actively or passive sharing data (8.3% vs 9.3%, p<0.001). Mean episodes of DKA were also lower (0.16 episodes/patient vs 0.05 episodes/patient, p<0.05).
Conclusions: Passively or actively sharing data for clinic visits may be considered an adjunct measure of engagement in self-management. Our data suggest that an association exists between sharing data and decreased HbA1c and decreased incidence of DKA events. As technologies continue to advance, efforts to passively connect these data to diabetes clinics will become increasingly important.