A Pilot Project to Assess the Impact of Diabetes Education During Ophthalmology Visits (LionsDMed)

California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute

Status: Completed

Conditions: Diabetes Complications; Diabetic Retinopathy

Treatments: Behavioral: Educator sessions; Behavioral: iPad app; Behavioral: Retinal photos

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02334137

Diabetes Ed at Lions Eye

Details and patient eligibility

About

The overarching purpose of this project is to provide diabetes education to the diverse patient population at the Lions Eye Clinic, a resident-run ophthalmology practice at California Pacific Medical Center. Because of high clinic volume in a teaching environment, our patients often experience long wait times. The goal of this program is to utilize this wait time for diabetes education, a much-needed corollary to the eye care that patients receive at our clinic.

This pilot project will investigate the impact of a program like this in our patient population. Specifically, the investigators are investigating whether diabetes education delivered in an ophthalmology setting enhances patient understanding of diabetes (via knowledge surveys) and/or leads to improved blood glucose control (via hemoglobin A1c). This is a 6-month study that runs through April 2015, and looks at the impact of an interactive diabetes education iPad app +/- in-person sessions with a diabetes educator. A subset of patients who meet with a diabetes educator will also be shown their own retinal images (compared to a normal retina).

Enrollment: 36 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 75 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes (as defined by evident systemic findings OR recent hemoglobin A1c OR patient report, as specific blood sugar data and knowledge of particular medications are often limited in this population)
• Age 18-75
• Able and willing to provide informed consent
• Speak English, Spanish, or any other language for which a translator is present

Exclusion criteria

• Advanced visual acuity loss in both eyes which prevents adequate use of educational tools
• Pregnant women, elderly patients (>75 years old), children and adolescents (17 or younger)
• Non-English/Spanish speakers for whom a translator is not present

Trial design

36 participants in 3 patient groups

iPad app

Description:

This group will have unlimited access to educational iPad app while waiting for ophthalmology visits.

Treatment:

Behavioral: iPad app

Educator sessions

Description:

This group will have unlimited access to educational iPad app AND at least one appointment with a certified diabetes educator or registered dietitian while waiting for ophthalmology visits.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Educator sessions

Behavioral: iPad app

Educator sessions + retinal photos

Description:

This group will have same access as "iPad app + education sessions" and in addition will be able to briefly review their own retinal photos (compared to normal retina) with a resident ophthalmologist during timeline of pilot program.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Retinal photos

Behavioral: Educator sessions

Behavioral: iPad app