Grant: Operating Grant: SPOR & JDRF - ICT Multi-Year Grant

Living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) is challenging in many ways. People with T1D are expected to fit self-management and regular clinic appointments into busy lives, balancing short- and long-term risks of low and high blood sugar levels. Our research aims to improve the lives of people with T1D by testing an innovative health system intervention to help patients achieve better diabetes control in a way that places less burden on individuals and is more patient-oriented. Specifically, the intervention will involve electronic delivery of health care and related support services to people living with T1D in addition to usual care, including 1) frequent, brief virtual visits with their diabetes care team to share and discuss blood sugar patterns, diabetes self-management, coping strategies, personalized goals and action plans and 2) structured online educational courses, tools and supports. Virtual visits will use videoconferencing technology that can be securely accessed free of charge from any personal device (PC, tablet, smart phone). We will test the intervention's impact on diabetes control, patient-reported experiences and outcomes, and heath care use and costs. The intervention will be tailored to two age groups: young adults 17-24 years of age and adults 25 years of age and older. It will enable "high frequency, low touch" care to patients with poorer diabetes control and at times in their lives when they are at high risk for diabetes complications. This approach will allow patients to receive more education and support than is feasible in traditional health care models based solely on in-person clinic visits, in a way that is more seamless (fewer disruptions to daily life) and tailored to individual needs (by offering an array of online educational classes, tools and resources) based on stage of life. We hypothesize that the intervention will improve diabetes control, patient experience and access to self-management education and support for patients with T1D.