Despite remarkable advancements in diabetes technology, the way endocrinologists deliver care is decidedly old school, resulting in suboptimal health outcomes. A new quality improvement project at Cincinnati Children’s will create a more efficient, proactive care delivery model that keeps pace with the changing needs of children with type 1 diabetes and their families. The model will improve access to diabetes technology, leverage innovative artificial intelligence (AI) decision support tools and establish a unified clinical information system infrastructure.  

“We want to replace the existing episodic quarterly check-up system with a more supportive, efficient approach that optimizes existing diabetes technology and supports youth and families during the 8,752 hours of the year that they aren’t in clinic,” says co-principal investigator Sarah Corathers, MD. “The name of this initiative, ConnectT1D, reflects our desire to reinforce connections between patients, the clinic and community partners to achieve excellent glycemic and psychosocial outcomes for young people with type 1 diabetes.” 

The $2.5 million initiative is funded by the Helmsley Trust. It will initially focus on a cohort of 300 medically and socially vulnerable youth before expanding to the broader Cincinnati Children’s Diabetes Center and its 2,000 patients. ConnectT1D will incorporate tried-and-true methods, such as using community health workers to provide support between clinic visits. It will also explore new strategies such as: 

• Enhanced access to diabetes technology, including state-of-the-art wearable devices 

• Innovative AI decision support tools to make diabetes device data more readily available and useful at the individual and population management level   

• A unified clinical information system capable of collecting, interpreting, documenting and communicating timely therapeutic changes 

• Advanced training for diabetes health workers so that they can address specific health navigation challenges  

• Partnerships with schools, health insurers and legal advocacy groups to strengthen family support 

A unified clinical information system would address the current frustrations associated with reviewing individual patients’ diabetes data between clinic visits. “Like all diabetes providers, our team accesses patient data using multiple web-based platforms depending on the brand of the device,” Corathers said. “All of the platforms are siloed, and none are integrated with our electronic medical record system or patient communication portal. This adds so much complexity to the process and slows everything down. We’ve wanted to create an integrated platform for a while, and this grant will allow 
us to do it.” 

Corathers is quick to point out that the strategies generated by ConnectT1D will extend well beyond technology enhancements. “One of our principal investigators is a diabetes psychologist, and all of us share her perspective that a modern care delivery system has to address the psychosocial aspects of dealing with this relentless disease,” Corathers says. “We’re excited about the potential for ConnectT1D to transform the way kids and families manage diabetes and to ultimately improve glycemic outcomes.”