Consistent service use before the COVID-19 pandemic predicted the continuity of face-to-face appointments during the lockdown among type 2 diabetes patients.

Prim Care Diabetes

Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland; Department of Public Health and Welfare, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, PO Box 30, FI-00271 Helsinki, Finland; Joint Municipal Authority for North Karelia Social and Health Services, Tikkamäentie 16, FI-80210 Joensuu, Finland.

Published: April 2024

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic affected diabetes care among type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients. However, it is not known whether the observed changes in care concern all T2D patients equally. We examined the changes in health service usage and treatment outcomes among T2D patients according to the pre-pandemic follow-up activity.

Methods: We analysed electronic health records of 11 083 T2D patients in North Karelia, Finland (March 2017-March 2021), categorizing them by pre-pandemic T2D-related in-person contact frequency. We focused on HbA1c and LDL measurement activity and treatment targets as care indicators.

Results: Overall, health service usage and recording rates for HbA1c and LDL decreased during the pandemic. They decreased most but stayed at the highest level among patients with the most consistent pre-pandemic face-to-face service use, characterised by the highest proportion of comorbidities and elevated HbA1c. Their treatment outcomes were not negatively affected. In contrast, service usage and measurement activities increased among those with no pre-pandemic contact.

Conclusion: Those with consistent pre-pandemic service use and greater service needs were more likely to seek face-to-face care despite the lockdown, and no negative effect on treatment outcomes was seen.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pcd.2023.12.003DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

t2d patients
16
service usage
12
treatment outcomes
12
covid-19 pandemic
8
type diabetes
8
health service
8
hba1c ldl
8
consistent pre-pandemic
8
patients
6
service
6

Similar Publications

Introduction: Several cardiovascular outcome trials have been conducted to assess the cardiovascular safety and efficacy of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RAs) on cardiorenal outcomes in patients with type-2 diabetes (T2D). However, the strict requirements of randomised controlled trials to avoid most confounding factors are at the expense of external validity. Using national real-world data, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of GLP-1RAs in association with metformin especially on cardiovascular events, hospitalisation for heart failure and all-cause death in comparison with other diabetes treatment schemes using dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitors, sulfonylureas/glinides or insulin also associated with metformin.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

New users of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors are at low risk of incident pancreatic cancer: a nationwide population-based cohort study.

Diabetes Metab

January 2025

Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Asan Diabetes Center, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

Aim: We aimed to investigate whether sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) are associated with a decreased risk of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) compared to other glucose lowering medications (oGLMs).

Methods: This active-comparator, new-user cohort study used the nationwide National Health Insurance Service database of the Republic of Korea from September 2014 to June 2020. From 79,423 new users of SGLT2is and 294,707 new users of oGLMs, we used a propensity score to match 59,954 from each of these two treatment groups.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Aim: The progressive nature of type 2 diabetes often, in time, necessitates basal insulin therapy to achieve glycemic targets. However, despite standardized titration algorithms, many people remain poorly controlled after initiating insulin therapy, leading to suboptimal glycemic control and complications. Both healthcare professionals and people with type 2 diabetes have expressed the need for novel tools to aid in this process.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The impact of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) on all-cause mortality in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with severe abdominal aortic calcification (SAAC) remains unclear.

Methods: We analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013-2014, including T2D patients aged 40 years and older. AAC was assessed using the Kauppila scoring system, with SAAC defined as a score >6.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The multicomponent Remission Evaluation of Medical Interventions in T2D (REMIT) program has shown reduction of hazard of diabetes relapse by 34-43%, but could benefit from improved ability to scale, spread, and sustain it. This study explored, at the conceptualization phase, patient and health coach perspectives on the acceptability, adoption, feasibility, and appropriateness of a digital REMIT adaptation (diabetes technology enabled coaching (DTEC)). Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients (n = 6) and health coaches (n = 6) to explore their experiences with the REMIT study, opportunities for virtualisation, and a cognitive walkthrough of solution concepts.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!