Diabetes Toolkit at Discharge

Implementation and Testing of a Diabetes Discharge Intervention to Improve Safety During Transitions of Care

The purpose of this randomized clinical trial is to implement the DM Discharge Toolkit into hospital discharge and assess the effect of the DM Discharge Toolkit on patients newly requiring insulin.

This study is a randomized controlled trial with a parallel group design of up to 120 study participants in a 1:1 ratio to receive either current standard of care discharge DM training (control) or current standard of care discharge DM training and the DM Discharge Toolkit (intervention) before or immediately after being sent home to assume self-DM care with insulin.

Up to 60 participants will be recruited for the intervention group. Participants will receive the current standard of care DM education for insulin at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the adjunctive education with the DM Discharge Toolkit.

Up to 60 participants will be recruited for the control group. Participants will receive the current standard of care DM education for insulin use during current discharge care processes at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

The DM Discharge Toolkit is a multi-modal intervention consisting of a 3-D printed DM survival "kit" that stores DM self-care supplies (e.g., glucose meter) and technical skills (e.g., injection) simulation materials (e.g. simulation skin), whose use is integrated with a website (https://mydiabeteskit.com) containing standardized DM "Survival" education content.

Number of post-discharge contacts with the healthcare system (i.e. phone calls, emergency room visits, re-admissions, outpatient clinician visits).

A continuous glucose monitor will be used to monitor glucose levels from discharge to 14 days post discharge.

The Diabetes Symptoms Questionnaire consists of 9 questions where patients answer on a scale between 1-5, with higher numbers indicating a greater rate of occurrence.

The Summary of Diabetes Self Care Activities consists of 7 questions where patients tally the number of days in the past week that they performed various diabetes self care tasks, such as checking blood glucose and taking medications.

The Diabetes Distress Scale is a questionnaire with 17 questions where patients answer on a scale between 1-6, with higher numbers indicating higher distress related to diabetes diagnosis.

The Partner Diabetes Distress Scale is a questionnaire with 21 questions where a spouse or partner of someone with diabetes answers on a scale between 0-4, with higher numbers indicating higher distress related to partner's diabetes diagnosis.

The Perceived Stress Scale is a questionnaire with 10 questions where a patient answers on a scale between 0-4 with higher numbers indicating a greater rate of occurrence.

Inclusion Criteria: English speaking patients 18 years of age and older Expected survival >90 days Need for new insulin at time of hospital discharge Exclusion Criteria: Patients with the inability to give informed consent Non-English speaking Not diagnosed with diabetes Not been newly prescribed insulin