Adrenal suppression in children treated with swallowed fluticasone and oral viscous budesonide for eosinophilic esophagitis

Abstract Background Adrenal suppression (AS), a glucocorticoid (GC) side effect associated with significant morbidity, is well described related to inhaled corticosteroid therapy for asthma. Swallowed topical glucocorticoid therapy is the main pharmacotherapy treatment for eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and therefore children with EoE are potentially at increased risk of AS. Methods In this prospective cohort study, we included children and youth <18 years diagnosed with EoE and treated with swallowed fluticasone or oral viscous budesonide for more than 1 month. First morning cortisol and low dose adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation test (LDST) were performed 2 weeks following GC discontinuation. AS was defined as an abnormal LDST result (cortisol peak <500 nmol/L). We determined the prevalence and duration of AS related to swallowed topical GC therapy in EoE by LDST, as well as the diagnostic accuracy of first morning cortisol compared to LDST. Results Of 29 participants enrolled, 26 (89.7 %) received oral viscous budesonide and 3 (10.3 %) received swallowed fluticasone. Nineteen (65.5 %) participants had AS. Median duration of AS was 43 weeks. Five (17.2 %) participants had persistent AS at 12 months. There were no identifiable risk factors for the development of AS. First morning cortisol was highly specific but had poor sensitivity for detection of AS. Conclusions The majority of children with EoE had AS after discontinuation of swallowed topical GC therapy. Stress steroids should be considered in children treated with swallowed topical GC therapy for EoE, even after GC discontinuation, to prevent possible adrenal crisis

Multicentre randomized controlled trial of structured transition on diabetes care management compared to standard diabetes care in adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes (Transition Trial)

Background: Transition from pediatric to adult diabetes care is a high risk period during which there is an increased rate of disengagement from care. Suboptimal transition has been associated with higher risks for acute and chronic diabetes-related complications. The period of emerging adulthood challenges current systems of healthcare delivery as many young adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) default from diabetes care and are at risk for diabetes complications which are undetected and therefore untreated. Despite the importance of minimizing loss to follow-up there are no randomized control trials evaluating models of transition from pediatric to adult diabetes care.Methods/Design: This is a multicentre randomized controlled trial. A minimum of 188 subjects with T1D aged between 17 and 20 years will be evaluated. Eligible subjects will be recruited from three pediatric care centres and randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to a structured transition program that will span 18 months or to receive standard diabetes care. The structured transition program is a multidisciplinary, complex intervention aiming to provide additional support in the transition period. A Transition Coordinator will provide transition support and will provide the link between pediatric and adult diabetes care. The Transition Coordinator is central to the intervention to facilitate ongoing contact with the medical system as well as education and clinical support where appropriate. Subjects will be seen in the pediatric care setting for 6 months and will then be transferred to the adult care setting where they will be seen for one year. There will then be a one-year follow-up period for outcome assessment. The primary outcome is the proportion of subjects who fail to attend at least one outpatient adult diabetes specialist visit during the second year after transition to adult diabetes care. Secondary outcome measures include A1C frequency measurement and levels, diabetes related emergency room visits and hospital admissions, frequency of complication screening, and subject perception and satisfaction with care.Discussion: This trial will determine if the support of a Transition Coordinator improves health outcomes for this at-risk population of young adults.Trial registration: Trial Registration Number: NCT01351857. © 2013 Spaic et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Multicentre randomized controlled trial of structured transition on diabetes care management compared to standard diabetes care in adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes (Transition Trial)

Background: Transition from pediatric to adult diabetes care is a high risk period during which there is an increased rate of disengagement from care. Suboptimal transition has been associated with higher risks for acute and chronic diabetes-related complications. The period of emerging adulthood challenges current systems of healthcare delivery as many young adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) default from diabetes care and are at risk for diabetes complications which are undetected and therefore untreated. Despite the importance of minimizing loss to follow-up there are no randomized control trials evaluating models of transition from pediatric to adult diabetes care.Methods/Design: This is a multicentre randomized controlled trial. A minimum of 188 subjects with T1D aged between 17 and 20 years will be evaluated. Eligible subjects will be recruited from three pediatric care centres and randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to a structured transition program that will span 18 months or to receive standard diabetes care. The structured transition program is a multidisciplinary, complex intervention aiming to provide additional support in the transition period. A Transition Coordinator will provide transition support and will provide the link between pediatric and adult diabetes care. The Transition Coordinator is central to the intervention to facilitate ongoing contact with the medical system as well as education and clinical support where appropriate. Subjects will be seen in the pediatric care setting for 6 months and will then be transferred to the adult care setting where they will be seen for one year. There will then be a one-year follow-up period for outcome assessment. The primary outcome is the proportion of subjects who fail to attend at least one outpatient adult diabetes specialist visit during the second year after transition to adult diabetes care. Secondary outcome measures include A1C frequency measurement and levels, diabetes related emergency room visits and hospital admissions, frequency of complication screening, and subject perception and satisfaction with care.Discussion: This trial will determine if the support of a Transition Coordinator improves health outcomes for this at-risk population of young adults.Trial registration: Trial Registration Number: NCT01351857. © 2013 Spaic et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Implementation and evaluation of a longitudinal diabetes educational programme for adolescents

Introduction International guidelines recommend structured and continuous educational programmes to expand diabetes knowledge and self-efficacy in youth. To address these recommendations within a paediatric diabetes clinic, we conducted a three-phase quality improvement project aimed at improving adolescents’ confidence in diabetes self-management skills.Methods In phase 1, the Diabetes Learning Centre (DLC), an educational programme for adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) ages 13–17 years, was developed and implemented. Programme feasibility was evaluated through programme attendance rates. Phase 2 aimed to guide ongoing programme development and optimisation. DLC attendees rated their baseline confidence in overall and individual T1D self-management skills on a 5-point Likert scale. Patient characteristics were summarised using descriptive statistics and the association between patient characteristics and overall confidence in T1D self-management was evaluated. Phase 3 used patient surveys to evaluate patient satisfaction and reported change in confidence in self-management skills following DLC attendance.Results In phase 1, 232 (81%) of eligible adolescents attended the DLC during the study period. In phase 2, median overall confidence in diabetes management on a Likert scale (0–4) was 3, representing ‘quite confident’, although confidence was low in some essential self-management skills. Higher confidence was associated with lower HbA1c (p&lt;0.001). In phase 3, 77 (85%) of participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the DLC. 106 (82%) of completed worksheets were associated with improved confidence in the diabetes self-management skill addressed.Conclusions Implementation of a longitudinal T1D educational model was feasible with good uptake in an existing T1D programme. While confidence at baseline was quite high for overall T1D self-management, it was low in some essential self-management skills, highlighting the need for this programme and specific educational gaps. Adolescents reported improvements in confidence and high levels of satisfaction following DLC attendance. Our model provides a replicable programme template to address longitudinal education needs

A pediatric virtual care evaluation framework and its evolution using consensus methods

Abstract Background The use of virtual care has increased dramatically in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, yet evidence is lacking regarding the impact of virtual care on patient outcomes, particularly in pediatrics. A standardized evaluation approach is required to support the integration of virtual care into pediatric health care delivery programs. The objective of this work was to develop a comprehensive and structured framework for pediatric virtual care evaluation. This framework is intended to engage and guide care providers, health centres, and stakeholders towards the development of a standardized approach to the evaluation of pediatric virtual care. Methods We brought together a diverse multidisciplinary team, including pediatric clinicians, researchers, digital health leads and analysts, program leaders, a human factors engineer, a family advisor and our manager of health equity and diversity. The team reviewed the literature, including published evaluation frameworks, and used a consensus-based method to develop a virtual care evaluation framework applicable to a broad spectrum of pediatric virtual care programs. We used an iterative process to develop framework components, including domains and sub-domains, examples of evaluation questions, measures, and data sources. Team members met repeatedly over seven months to generate and provide feedback on all components of the framework, making revision as needed until consensus was reached. The framework was then applied to an existing virtual care program. Results The resulting framework includes four domains (health outcomes, health delivery, individual experience, and program implementation) and 19 sub-domains designed to support the development and evaluation of pediatric virtual care programs. We also developed guidance on how to use the framework and illustrate its utility by applying it to an existing pediatric virtual care program. Conclusions This virtual care evaluation framework expands on previously developed frameworks by providing additional detail and a structure that supports practical application. It can be used to evaluate a wide range of pediatric virtual care programs in a standardized manner. Use of this comprehensive yet easy to use evaluation framework will inform appropriate implementation and integration of virtual care into routine practice and support its sustainability and continuous improvement

Teaching Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes Self-Compassion (TADS) to Reduce Diabetes Distress: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

BackgroundAdolescents living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) often experience diabetes distress (DD), a construct distinct from depression or anxiety that refers to the negative emotions that arise from living with and managing diabetes. Self-compassion, which involves being open to one’s own suffering and treating oneself with the same care one would show to loved ones, is associated with better psychological and clinical outcomes among individuals with T1D. Self-compassion is a skill that can be taught and therefore represents an opportunity for intervention. ObjectiveThe overall aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of a web-based mindful self-compassion for teens (MSC-T) intervention on improving DD, anxiety, depression, diabetes-related disordered eating, and suicidal ideation experienced by youth with T1D (aged between 12 and 17 years) compared with a waitlist control group (standard of care). We will also explore (1) if the effect of the MSC-T intervention changes over time, (2) if the MSC-T intervention has a positive impact on measures of glycemic control, and (3) if the effect of the MSC-T intervention differs based on self-reported gender. MethodsWe will conduct a single-center, parallel-group randomized controlled trial of 140 adolescents with T1D followed for 12 months. Participants will be randomly allocated (using hidden allocation) in a 1:1 ratio to either the MSC-T intervention or the waitlist control group. Our primary outcome is DD, as measured by the Problem Areas in Diabetes-Teen (PAID-T) version at 3 months. Secondary outcomes, assessed at 3 and 12 months, include anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item [GAD-7] scale), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9]), diabetes-related disordered eating (Diabetes Eating Problem Survey-Revised [DEPS-R] version), and suicidal ideation (using 1 question from the PHQ-9). ResultsStudy recruitment began in October 2022 and was completed in March 2023, with a total of 141 participants enrolling. Data collection will be ongoing until March 2024. The first results are expected in June 2024. ConclusionsThis study will be the first randomized trial to assess the effectiveness of the web-based MSC-T intervention on adolescents with T1D. Given that adolescence is a period where individuals are typically required to assume more responsibility for their diabetes care, providing adolescents with the tools they need to better manage the stress that often accompanies T1D management is paramount. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT05463874; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05463874 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/5393