G Nefs, P Winterdijk, P Dekker, M De Vries, T Sas, D Mul, H Veeze, HJ Aanstoot

Transition to remote diabetes care in COVID-19 times: experiences from a specialized type 1 diabetes clinic. 14th International Conference on Advanced Technologies and Treatments for Diabetes, 2-5 June 202, online. Abstract: #359.

During the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, the existing telehealth infrastructure of our diabetes clinic facilitated a rapid transition from face-to-face to remote care. First experiences were reported at ATTD 2021.

 

From May-July 2020, 87 of 1,073 eligible Dutch people with type 1 diabetes aged 16+ years whose face-to-face visit with their health care professional was replaced with a remote consultation completed a purpose-designed online survey on remote care, the working relation, quality of life, demographics, and clinical information. People were also divided on whether they wanted to continue their care remotely.

 

Key findings:

• Consultations were doctor-only, nurse-only or a combination
• Most consultations were telephone calls
• People were generally satisfied with the audio/video connection, attention to emotions and working relation
• Important advantage of remote care was time saving
• Suggested improvements included video consultations with screensharing and set appointment times
• A more positive attitude towards future remote consultations was associated with higher quality of life but not with demographics nor self-reported clinical factors

 

Transition to remote care was generally well received, but also dependent on personal preferences. Even after the pandemic, the option to switch to remote care (including HbA1c home-kits) may better fit personal needs.

 

For abstract click here (page A-138).

 

For poster click here.