Insulin Start Therapy Application With Resources and Training (I-START)
Primary Purpose
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
Status
Completed
Phase
Not Applicable
Locations
United States
Study Type
Interventional
Intervention
I-START
Standard Insulin Administration Education
Sponsored by

About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 focused on measuring Psychological insulin resistance, Diabetes self-management, Mobile application
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- 18 years of age
- Able to read and follow study instructions in English (translations will not be provided)
- T2DM requiring the use of prandial and/or long-acting insulin
- Ability to self-administer insulin therapy
- Willing to download the study app on their smartphone
- Able and willing to provide a signed consent
- Able and willing to follow all study procedures
Exclusion Criteria:
- Pregnant (self-reported)
- Participants from the same household participating concurrently
- Use of a smartphone with iOS version 10.0 or lower
- Use of a smartphone with Android OS 5.0 "Lollipop" or lower
- Currently using a continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion device
- Participants with major depression
- Currently or planning to participate in a similar study that would affect the results of this study
- Currently or planning to participate in a clinical study that involves taking a drug, supplement, or use of an investigational drug
- Continued hospitalization or transfer to an assisted living facility
- Any condition the PI or designee deems to pose a risk to the participant in the study (includes anything that may prevent full participation in the study)
Sites / Locations
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Arm Type
Experimental
Active Comparator
Arm Label
Intervention
Usual Care
Arm Description
Participants assigned to the intervention group will receive insulin administration education according to standard procedures plus have access to the I-START app. Over the course of the study period, participants will be able to use I-START as much or as little as they prefer.
Participants in the usual care group will receive insulin administration education according to standard procedures. They will not have access to the I-START app.
Outcomes
Primary Outcome Measures
Change from baseline in psychological insulin resistance at 2 weeks
Psychological insulin resistance will be assessed using the Barriers to Insulin Treatment Questionnaire (BIT), a short instrument that is easy to administer and may be used by both clinicians and researchers (Petrak et al, 2007). The BIT Questionnaire includes 14 items, a total sum score, and the following five subscales: fear of injection and self-testing, expectations regarding positive insulin related outcomes, expected hardship from insulin treatment, stigmatization by insulin injection, and fear of hypoglycemia. Each item is scored on a scale from 1 to 10, which are summed and averaged for total scores; the higher the score, the greater the level of concern.
Change from baseline in psychological insulin resistance at 3 months
Psychological insulin resistance will be assessed using the Barriers to Insulin Treatment Questionnaire (BIT), a short instrument that is easy to administer and may be used by both clinicians and researchers (Petrak et al, 2007). The BIT Questionnaire includes 14 items, a total sum score, and the following five subscales: fear of injection and self-testing, expectations regarding positive insulin related outcomes, expected hardship from insulin treatment, stigmatization by insulin injection, and fear of hypoglycemia. Each item is scored on a scale from 1 to 10, which are summed and averaged for total scores; the higher the score, the greater the level of concern.
Change from baseline in psychological insulin resistance at 6 months
Psychological insulin resistance will be assessed using the Barriers to Insulin Treatment Questionnaire (BIT), a short instrument that is easy to administer and may be used by both clinicians and researchers (Petrak et al, 2007). The BIT Questionnaire includes 14 items, a total sum score, and the following five subscales: fear of injection and self-testing, expectations regarding positive insulin related outcomes, expected hardship from insulin treatment, stigmatization by insulin injection, and fear of hypoglycemia. Each item is scored on a scale from 1 to 10, which are summed and averaged for total scores; the higher the score, the greater the level of concern.
Secondary Outcome Measures
Change from baseline in glycemic control at 3 months
Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) will serve as a clinical indicator of glycemic control. HbA1c will serve as the clinical study outcome and measure of glycemic control. HbA1c values will be obtained from the electronic medical record (EMR) system.
Change from baseline in glycemic control at 6 months
Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) will serve as a clinical indicator of glycemic control. HbA1c will serve as the clinical study outcome and measure of glycemic control. HbA1c values will be obtained from the electronic medical record (EMR) system.
Change from baseline in medication adherence at 3 months
Medication adherence will be assessed with the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8). The scales includes 8 items. Scores can range from 0 to 8; the higher the score, the more adherent the respondent is considered.
Change from baseline in medication adherence at 6 months
Medication adherence will be assessed with the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8). Scores can range from 0 to 8; the higher the score, the more adherent the respondent is considered.
Change from baseline in diabetes empowerment at 3 months
Empowerment will be measured using the 8-item Diabetes Empowerment Scale-Short Form (DES-SF), which measures an individual's perceived ability to manage psychosocial aspects of diabetes, assess dissatisfaction and readiness to change self-management plans and set and achieve diabetes goals (Anderson et al, 2000; Anderson et al, 2003). Possible scores are 1 to 5 for each item, summed for a possible total score of 8 to 40. Higher scores indicate greater empowerment.
Change from baseline in diabetes empowerment at 6 months
Empowerment will be measured using the 8-item Diabetes Empowerment Scale-Short Form (DES-SF), which measures an individual's perceived ability to manage psychosocial aspects of diabetes, assess dissatisfaction and readiness to change self-management plans and set and achieve diabetes goals (Anderson et al, 2000; Anderson et al, 2003). Possible scores are 1 to 5 for each item, summed for a possible total score of 8 to 40. Higher scores indicate greater empowerment.
Change from baseline in diabetes distress at 3 months
Diabetes distress will be evaluated with the 17-item Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS17), which assesses four dimensions of distress - emotional, regimen, interpersonal and physician (Polonsky et al, 2005), and has shown a consistent pattern of relationships with HbA1c, diabetes self-efficacy, diet and physical activity in multiple samples of patients with T2DM (Fisher et al, 2012). Individual items are scored from 1 to 6; total scores are the average of all individual item scores; higher scores indicate greater distress.
Change from baseline in diabetes distress at 6 months
Diabetes distress will be evaluated with the 17-item Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS17), which assesses four dimensions of distress - emotional, regimen, interpersonal and physician (Polonsky et al, 2005), and has shown a consistent pattern of relationships with HbA1c, diabetes self-efficacy, diet and physical activity in multiple samples of patients with T2DM (Fisher et al, 2012). Individual items are scored from 1 to 6; total scores are the average of all individual item scores; higher scores indicate greater distress.
Patient Satisfaction
Patient satisfaction will be assessed using the validated Diabetes Medication System Rating Questionnaire-Short Form (DMSRQ-SF) (Peyrot et al, 2014). Items are scored 0 to 100; higher scores equal greater levels of item/construct being measured.
Provider Satisfaction
Clinician experiences and perspectives on satisfaction of the app will be assessed through a study specific satisfaction survey
Full Information
1. Study Identification
Unique Protocol Identification Number
NCT03999268
Brief Title
Insulin Start Therapy Application With Resources and Training
Acronym
I-START
Official Title
Evaluation of Insulin Start Therapy Application With Resources and Training (I-START) to Address Barriers to Insulin Therapy
Study Type
Interventional
2. Study Status
Record Verification Date
July 2022
Overall Recruitment Status
Completed
Study Start Date
November 25, 2019 (Actual)
Primary Completion Date
May 25, 2022 (Actual)
Study Completion Date
May 25, 2022 (Actual)
3. Sponsor/Collaborators
Responsible Party, by Official Title
Principal Investigator
Name of the Sponsor
University of Pittsburgh
4. Oversight
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product
No
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product
No
Data Monitoring Committee
No
5. Study Description
Brief Summary
The purpose of the I-START study is to evaluate an educational phone application (app) designed to support patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) by reinforcing the necessary skills needed for insulin administration as part of diabetes self-management.
Detailed Description
Despite advances in technology and delivery systems, patients with T2DM continue to be reluctant to begin and adhere to insulin therapy for a variety of reasons. Introducing insulin therapy is particularly problematic during a hospitalization or a brief routine outpatient visit given time and resource constraints. Teaching people to administer an insulin injection requires time and ongoing support. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate an educational phone application designed to support patients with T2DM by reinforcing skills and self-management behaviors needed for insulin administration. Patients with T2DM who are starting insulin or need updated instruction on insulin will be invited to participate in this study to examine the effect of the phone app on psychological barriers to insulin as well as patient and provider satisfaction with and usability of the phone app in both outpatient and hospital settings.
6. Conditions and Keywords
Primary Disease or Condition Being Studied in the Trial, or the Focus of the Study
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
Keywords
Psychological insulin resistance, Diabetes self-management, Mobile application
7. Study Design
Primary Purpose
Treatment
Study Phase
Not Applicable
Interventional Study Model
Parallel Assignment
Masking
None (Open Label)
Allocation
Non-Randomized
Enrollment
41 (Actual)
8. Arms, Groups, and Interventions
Arm Title
Intervention
Arm Type
Experimental
Arm Description
Participants assigned to the intervention group will receive insulin administration education according to standard procedures plus have access to the I-START app. Over the course of the study period, participants will be able to use I-START as much or as little as they prefer.
Arm Title
Usual Care
Arm Type
Active Comparator
Arm Description
Participants in the usual care group will receive insulin administration education according to standard procedures. They will not have access to the I-START app.
Intervention Type
Behavioral
Intervention Name(s)
I-START
Intervention Description
Designed as a supplementary educational tool for patients on insulin therapy, I-START includes an injection plan to reinforce the knowledge and behaviors that users have been taught by their health care provider. This is done through eight modules created for the benefit of new and experienced insulin users, and those using pens or vial/syringes. The modules address a variety of topics pertinent to insulin therapy, including overcoming psychosocial barriers, injection techniques and best practices, managing hypo- and hyperglycemic events, monitoring blood glucose and troubleshooting and problem solving. At the end of each module, users can self-evaluate their confidence in mastering the information presented. This gives them the ability to move forward into the next module, repeat material already presented and/or save features of the modules that they would like to revisit at another time.
Intervention Type
Behavioral
Intervention Name(s)
Standard Insulin Administration Education
Intervention Description
Standard best practices for training patients to administer insulin therapy include 1) a thorough patient assessment prior to therapy initiation to address barriers, including evaluation for diminished cognitive capacity or other problem that may impair safe insulin self-administration, and assessment of health literacy and numeracy skills; 2) observation of a patient's injection practice, with re-education provided as needed; 3) use of appropriate language is necessary when teaching injection technique; 4) dose preparation, which includes inspecting the insulin dose for accuracy (following manufacturer instructions); and 5) review of signs, symptoms and treatment of hypoglycemia must be included as a critical component of the training.
Primary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Change from baseline in psychological insulin resistance at 2 weeks
Description
Psychological insulin resistance will be assessed using the Barriers to Insulin Treatment Questionnaire (BIT), a short instrument that is easy to administer and may be used by both clinicians and researchers (Petrak et al, 2007). The BIT Questionnaire includes 14 items, a total sum score, and the following five subscales: fear of injection and self-testing, expectations regarding positive insulin related outcomes, expected hardship from insulin treatment, stigmatization by insulin injection, and fear of hypoglycemia. Each item is scored on a scale from 1 to 10, which are summed and averaged for total scores; the higher the score, the greater the level of concern.
Time Frame
2 weeks
Title
Change from baseline in psychological insulin resistance at 3 months
Description
Psychological insulin resistance will be assessed using the Barriers to Insulin Treatment Questionnaire (BIT), a short instrument that is easy to administer and may be used by both clinicians and researchers (Petrak et al, 2007). The BIT Questionnaire includes 14 items, a total sum score, and the following five subscales: fear of injection and self-testing, expectations regarding positive insulin related outcomes, expected hardship from insulin treatment, stigmatization by insulin injection, and fear of hypoglycemia. Each item is scored on a scale from 1 to 10, which are summed and averaged for total scores; the higher the score, the greater the level of concern.
Time Frame
3 months
Title
Change from baseline in psychological insulin resistance at 6 months
Description
Psychological insulin resistance will be assessed using the Barriers to Insulin Treatment Questionnaire (BIT), a short instrument that is easy to administer and may be used by both clinicians and researchers (Petrak et al, 2007). The BIT Questionnaire includes 14 items, a total sum score, and the following five subscales: fear of injection and self-testing, expectations regarding positive insulin related outcomes, expected hardship from insulin treatment, stigmatization by insulin injection, and fear of hypoglycemia. Each item is scored on a scale from 1 to 10, which are summed and averaged for total scores; the higher the score, the greater the level of concern.
Time Frame
6 months
Secondary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Change from baseline in glycemic control at 3 months
Description
Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) will serve as a clinical indicator of glycemic control. HbA1c will serve as the clinical study outcome and measure of glycemic control. HbA1c values will be obtained from the electronic medical record (EMR) system.
Time Frame
3 months
Title
Change from baseline in glycemic control at 6 months
Description
Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) will serve as a clinical indicator of glycemic control. HbA1c will serve as the clinical study outcome and measure of glycemic control. HbA1c values will be obtained from the electronic medical record (EMR) system.
Time Frame
6 months
Title
Change from baseline in medication adherence at 3 months
Description
Medication adherence will be assessed with the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8). The scales includes 8 items. Scores can range from 0 to 8; the higher the score, the more adherent the respondent is considered.
Time Frame
3 months
Title
Change from baseline in medication adherence at 6 months
Description
Medication adherence will be assessed with the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8). Scores can range from 0 to 8; the higher the score, the more adherent the respondent is considered.
Time Frame
6 months
Title
Change from baseline in diabetes empowerment at 3 months
Description
Empowerment will be measured using the 8-item Diabetes Empowerment Scale-Short Form (DES-SF), which measures an individual's perceived ability to manage psychosocial aspects of diabetes, assess dissatisfaction and readiness to change self-management plans and set and achieve diabetes goals (Anderson et al, 2000; Anderson et al, 2003). Possible scores are 1 to 5 for each item, summed for a possible total score of 8 to 40. Higher scores indicate greater empowerment.
Time Frame
3 months
Title
Change from baseline in diabetes empowerment at 6 months
Description
Empowerment will be measured using the 8-item Diabetes Empowerment Scale-Short Form (DES-SF), which measures an individual's perceived ability to manage psychosocial aspects of diabetes, assess dissatisfaction and readiness to change self-management plans and set and achieve diabetes goals (Anderson et al, 2000; Anderson et al, 2003). Possible scores are 1 to 5 for each item, summed for a possible total score of 8 to 40. Higher scores indicate greater empowerment.
Time Frame
6 months
Title
Change from baseline in diabetes distress at 3 months
Description
Diabetes distress will be evaluated with the 17-item Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS17), which assesses four dimensions of distress - emotional, regimen, interpersonal and physician (Polonsky et al, 2005), and has shown a consistent pattern of relationships with HbA1c, diabetes self-efficacy, diet and physical activity in multiple samples of patients with T2DM (Fisher et al, 2012). Individual items are scored from 1 to 6; total scores are the average of all individual item scores; higher scores indicate greater distress.
Time Frame
3 months
Title
Change from baseline in diabetes distress at 6 months
Description
Diabetes distress will be evaluated with the 17-item Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS17), which assesses four dimensions of distress - emotional, regimen, interpersonal and physician (Polonsky et al, 2005), and has shown a consistent pattern of relationships with HbA1c, diabetes self-efficacy, diet and physical activity in multiple samples of patients with T2DM (Fisher et al, 2012). Individual items are scored from 1 to 6; total scores are the average of all individual item scores; higher scores indicate greater distress.
Time Frame
6 months
Title
Patient Satisfaction
Description
Patient satisfaction will be assessed using the validated Diabetes Medication System Rating Questionnaire-Short Form (DMSRQ-SF) (Peyrot et al, 2014). Items are scored 0 to 100; higher scores equal greater levels of item/construct being measured.
Time Frame
6 months
Title
Provider Satisfaction
Description
Clinician experiences and perspectives on satisfaction of the app will be assessed through a study specific satisfaction survey
Time Frame
6 months
Other Pre-specified Outcome Measures:
Title
Patient Usability
Description
Patient usability will be tracked through the app's data analytics software platform. Study staff will pull data from the data analytics software platform.
Time Frame
6 months
Title
Provider usability
Description
Clinician experiences and perspectives on the usability of the Briight app will be assessed a study specific usability survey.
Time Frame
6 months
10. Eligibility
Sex
All
Minimum Age & Unit of Time
18 Years
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
18 years of age
Able to read and follow study instructions in English (translations will not be provided)
T2DM requiring the use of prandial and/or long-acting insulin
Ability to self-administer insulin therapy
Willing to download the study app on their smartphone
Able and willing to provide a signed consent
Able and willing to follow all study procedures
Exclusion Criteria:
Pregnant (self-reported)
Participants from the same household participating concurrently
Use of a smartphone with iOS version 10.0 or lower
Use of a smartphone with Android OS 5.0 "Lollipop" or lower
Currently using a continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion device
Participants with major depression
Currently or planning to participate in a similar study that would affect the results of this study
Currently or planning to participate in a clinical study that involves taking a drug, supplement, or use of an investigational drug
Continued hospitalization or transfer to an assisted living facility
Any condition the PI or designee deems to pose a risk to the participant in the study (includes anything that may prevent full participation in the study)
Overall Study Officials:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Linda Siminerio, RN, PhD, CDE
Organizational Affiliation
Professor
Official's Role
Principal Investigator
Facility Information:
Facility Name
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
City
Pittsburgh
State/Province
Pennsylvania
ZIP/Postal Code
15213
Country
United States
12. IPD Sharing Statement
Plan to Share IPD
Yes
IPD Sharing Plan Description
De-identified data set used for final analysis will be made available to other researchers who have obtained appropriate regulatory approval
IPD Sharing Time Frame
Data Set - After publication. ICF - After completing data collection.
IPD Sharing Access Criteria
Data set - other researchers will have to request access. ICF will be added to clinicaltrials.gov protocol
Learn more about this trial
Insulin Start Therapy Application With Resources and Training
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