ClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT04550585STEPP-UPUpdated Apr 24, 2023

Specialized Technology Education for Pumps & Pens in Underserved Populations With Diabetes

An observational study in Type1diabetes, sponsored by University of Southern California. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 75 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2023-04-24.

Sponsored by University of Southern California · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Other
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
63
Ages
18 Years to 75 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Lower socioeconomic status (SES) individuals with type 1 diabetes have poorer outcomes than wealthier patients and part of this disparity comes from a lack of tools and knowledge about how to teach these patients on the technologies other patients take for granted. Therefore, this is a study designed to develop and test low literacy English/Spanish language teaching tools for patients with type 1 diabetes treated with varying types of technology in the Los Angeles County healthcare system. The aims are to:To reduce health disparities for underserved adults with diabetes on multiple daily injection (MDI) therapy using vials and syringes through the use of a simplified lower literacy, culturally and language appropriate approach to teach, implement and follow these individuals started on insulin pens and pumps/continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII); To show no increase in rates of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) or severe hypoglycemia when using CSII or pen therapy compared to baseline rates; To reduce time spent in hyper and hypoglycemic ranges, as well as glycemic variability, as measured by blinded continuous glucose monitoring (CGM); Reduce psychological distress due to diabetes and improve health-related quality of life, as measured by validated distress and quality of life scales. Secondary Aims include: Reduction in A1C levels with CSII/pen therapy compared to standard MDI treatment; and to perform a cost-analysis of the process of implementation to improve the generalizability of the model.

Read the detailed description

SUMMARY OF STUDY RATIONAL - Lower socioeconomic status (SES) individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) have poorer outcomes than wealthier patients and part of this disparity comes from a lack of tools and knowledge about how to teach these patients on the technologies other patients take for granted. Until recently many of these lower SES individuals did not have access to health insurance, but with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act the group with the greatest expansion of coverage is the young adult age group (ages 18 - 34), particularly in the Latino community. Increased insurance allows for access to newer technology including insulin pens and pumps. As these patients have not had access to such devices, low literacy educational tool are necessary for safe and efficient utilization. Therefore, this is a study designed to develop and test low literacy English/Spanish language teaching tools for patients with type 1 diabetes treated with varying types of technology in the Los Angeles County (LAC) healthcare system. This study is a single center pilot study and by the nature of our clinic setting it cannot be a randomized controlled trial - it is more of a naturalistic experiment comparing each patient to their prior state of glycemic control with their status after the educational intervention using low-literacy educational materials has been applied.

INTERVENTION - Baseline Visit: Participants will sign informed consent, complete questionnaires, and measure HbA1C. Those opting to do so will start a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) sensor. All patients will be provided the written low literacy teaching tools in the language of their choice.

CGM Visit - for those opting to wear CGM will occur at Week 2 where 14 days of CGM data will be downloaded from participants' device.

Education Sessions: Educational sessions will be conducted using the low-literacy tools we created. Classes will be available on Fridays during T1D Clinic and on Saturdays to maximize participation. Classes will be every two weeks for approximately 3 months. Classes will be approximately 1 ½ hours in duration. Patients will be encouraged but not required to attend the classes. However, those starting on the pen and/or pump will be asked to attend the relevant sessions to prepare them for use of the technology.

Educational Sessions:

Session 1 - Basics of type 1 management Session 2 - Carbohydrate counting, Session 3 - Insulin self- adjustment, Session 4 - Sick day rules and physical activity dose adjustments Session 5 - Starting the insulin pen (for pen users) or pump (for pump users) Session 6 - Trouble shooting the pump (for pump users)

Phone Calls - Each patient will be contacted monthly (baseline month up to month 3 visit) by the diabetes educator to follow-up on questions and concerns regarding their diabetes management.

Clinic Visit 2 - post education visit will occur at 3 months. Questionnaires will be administered, A1C measured and CGM data and compare to baseline.

Clinic Visit 3 - will occur at 6 months. Questionnaires will be administered, A1C measured and CGM data and compare to baseline.

Clinic Visit 4 -will occur at 12 months. Questionnaires will be administered, A1C measured and CGM data and compare to baseline and 6 months.

DATA COLLECTION AND TESTING PROCEDURES (Baseline, 6 months and 12 months) HbA1c - HbA1c will be obtained using the point of care Siemens DCA Vantage Analyzer.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM)- A commercially available DexCom G5 or Libre device will be provided and a sensor will be inserted. The participant will receive instructions on calibration, insertions, maintenance, use, and removal of the sensor.

T1D REDEEM Diabetes Distress Questionnaire- The T1D REDEEM Diabetes Distress Questionnaire measures several dimensions of stress related to having type 1 diabetes. It consists of the following 7 subscales: Subscale 1 - Powerlessness (5 items); Subscale 2 - Management Distress (4 items); Subscale 3 - Hypoglycemia Distress (4 items); Subscale 4 - Negative Social Perceptions (4 items); Subscale 5 - Eating Distress (3 items); Subscale 6 - Physician Distress (4 items); Subscale 7 - Friend/Family Distress (4 items). Each question has a 6-choice Likert response format. Administration time is approximately 10 minutes.

Hypoglycemia Fear Survey - The Hypoglycemia Fear Survey measures several dimensions of fear of hypoglycemia among adults with type 1 diabetes. It consists of a 10-item Behavior subscale that measured behaviors involved in avoidance and over-treatment of hypoglycemia and a 13-item Worry subscale that measures anxiety and fear surrounding hypoglycemia, each with a 5-choice Likert response format. Administration time is approximately 10 minutes.

Simplified Diabetes Knowledge Test -The Simplified Diabetes Knowledge Test consists of 23 knowledge test items developed by the Michigan Diabetes Research Training Center (MDRTC). These items represent a test of general knowledge of diabetes and are answered in a true/false/don't know format. The psychometric properties provide information regarding the reliability of the various groups of items, as well as a difficulty index (percent of patients who scored this item correctly), and an item to group total correlation for each item. These data can be reported when describing the use of the test. Administration time is approximately 15 minutes.

Assessment of Sever Hypoglycemia and Diabetic Ketoacidosis -The Assessment of Severe Hypoglycemia and Diabetic Ketoacidosis is an interviewer administered survey assessing if the subject had any episodes of severe hypoglycemia and/or diabetic ketoacidosis since their last study visit. Events are recorded to assess frequency, as is type of assistance required to treat the event. Administration time is approximately 5 minutes.

02

Conditions studied

  • Type1diabetes

Keywords

  • low-literacy, diabetes education
03

In context

Lead sponsor

University of Southern California is the lead sponsor of 789 studies on the registry; 136 are open to participants now.

Of its 69 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 32 (46%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 75 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

English or Spanish speaking adults ages 18 to 75 with type 1 diabetes

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  1. Diagnosis of type 1 diabetes
  2. Age 18 - 75 years old
  3. Currently being treated at the T1D clinic in the LAC/USC Healthcare System
  4. No use of CSII or insulin pen in the past 6 months
  5. No serious illnesses where life expectancy is \<1 year
  6. Understand the study requirements and agree to comply with all study visits and procedures.
  7. Fluent in English or Spanish

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Subject is currently pregnant or lactating or plan on becoming pregnant during the course of the study.
  2. Subject is Blind
  3. Subject cannot follow instructions due to a medical condition or mental illness.
  4. Subject has a known allergy to medical adhesive.
05

Study design

Observational model
Other
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
63 participants (actual)
Patient registry
No

Interventions

  • OtherEducation: Session 1 - Basics of type 1 management

    In a group education session, a diabetes educator provides educational session 1 - Basics of type 1 management. Accompanying educational guide: How Can I Manage My Type 1 Diabetes Better?

  • OtherSession 2 - Carbohydrate counting

    In a group education session, a diabetes educator provides educational session 2 - Carbohydrate counting Accompanying educational guide: How Can I Manage My Type 1 Diabetes Better?

  • OtherEducation: Session 3 - Insulin self- adjustment

    In a group education session, a diabetes educator provides educational session 3 - Insulin self- adjustment Accompanying educational guide: How Can I Manage My Type 1 Diabetes Better?

  • OtherEducation: Session 4 - Sick day rules and physical activity dose adjustments

    In a group education session, a diabetes educator provides educational session 4 - Sick day rules and physical activity dose adjustments Accompanying educational guide: How Can I Manage My Type 1 Diabetes Better?

  • OtherEducation: Session 5 - Starting the insulin pen (for pen users) or pump (for pump users)

    In a group education session, a diabetes educator provides educational session 5 - Starting the insulin pen (for pen users) or pump (for pump users) Accompanying educational guide: Is the Insulin Pump Right for Me? How Do I Use an Insulin Pump? Is the Insulin Pen Right for Me?

  • OtherEducation: Session 6 - Trouble shooting the pump (for pump users)

    In a group education session, a diabetes educator provides educational session 6 - Trouble shooting the pump (for pump users) Accompanying educational guide: Is the Insulin Pump Right for Me? How Do I Use an Insulin Pump?

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Low-literacy based education on HbA1c

    Number of patients with decreased HbA1c as measured by point of care HbA1c level from baseline to 12 months

    Time frame: 12-months

  2. Low-literacy based education on hypoglycemia

    Number of patients with decreased hypoglycemia as measured by self report from baseline to 12 months

    Time frame: 12 months

  3. Low-literacy based education on diabetic ketoacidosis

    Number of patients with decreased diabetic ketoacidosis as measured by self report from baseline to 12 months

    Time frame: 12 months

  4. Low-literacy based education on diabetes distress

    Number of patients with decreased diabetes distress as measured by Type 1 Diabetes Reducing Distress and Enhancing Effective Management diabetes distress scale from baseline to 12 months

    Time frame: 12 months

  5. Low-literacy based education on hypoglycemia fear

    Number of patients with decreased hypoglycemia fear as measured by the Hypoglycemia Fear Survey from baseline to 12 months

    Time frame: 12 months

  6. Low-literacy based education on diabetes knowledge

    Number of patients with increased as measured by the Simplified Diabetes Knowledge Test from baseline to 12 months

    Time frame: 12 months

07

Study locations

1 site
  • University of Southern California Eastside Center for Diabetes
    Los Angeles, California 90022, United States
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Orrange S, Ruelas V, Peters AL. Specialized Technology Education for Pumps and Pens in Underserved Populations with Diabetes. Diabetes Technol Ther. 2022 Apr;24(4):268-275. doi: 10.1089/dia.2021.0265. Epub 2021 Dec 7. PubMed 34809482 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reached

Ran from Apr 2017 to primary completion in Oct 2019, 30 months.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Sep 9, 2020
First posted
Sep 16, 2020
StartActual
Apr 1, 2017
Primary completionActual
Oct 31, 2019
CompletionActual
Jul 31, 2020
Last update
Apr 24, 2023
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Apr 24, 2023, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04550585
Collaborators
The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust
Responsible party
Anne Peters (Professor of Medicine, Clinical Scholar, University of Southern California) — Principal investigator
First posted
Sep 16, 2020
Start date
Apr 1, 2017
Primary completion
Oct 31, 2019
Completion
Jul 31, 2020
Last update
Apr 24, 2023

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in Apr 2023. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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