Identifying and Overcoming Barriers to Diabetes Management in the Elderly: An Intervention Study (DISCO)

March 26, 2014 updated by: Medha Munshi, Joslin Diabetes Center
The purpose of this research study is to identify barriers affecting self care in older patients with diabetes and to provide coping strategies for these barriers with help from a care manager (Geriatric Life Specialist) to improve clinical, economical, functional and psychosocial parameters.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This is a study to evaluate whether short term focused intervention by a geriatric diabetes team, with addition of a care manager, to help overcome barriers to diabetes care in older adults will result in improved clinical, functional, and quality of life measures compared to usual care. In addition, we will assess whether the support network formed during intervention by the geriatric diabetes team will empower patients, resulting in long lasting improvement in parameters after intervention is completed. We will also explore whether improved blood glucose control will improve blood circulation in the brain that is compromised in elderly with diabetes.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

48

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02215
        • Joslin Diabetes Center
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02215
        • Beth Isreal Deaconess Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

69 years and older (Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 70 years and older
  • Diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 diabetes
  • Seen at Joslin Clinic or Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for at least one year
  • HbA1c 8% X 2 in past 6 months without fluctuation of more than 0.5% (i.e. stable poor control)
  • No major change in medications in past 3 months, e.g. addition of insulin or another hypoglycemic agent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with terminal diseases, e.g. malignancy with life expectancy of 12 months or less
  • Patients who live more than 25 miles from Joslin Clinic/ Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
  • Patients who live in an institutional setting, e.g. nursing home, group home, etc
  • Patients who are not able to complete outcome assessments,(e.g. poor vision, diminished mental capacity/severe cognitive decline, unable to speak/read/write English, etc)
  • Patients will be excluded from participation in Study Aim 3 if they have a history of orthostatic hypotension, TIA, or vertebral basilar insufficiency

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Geriatric diabetes team intervention group
The subjects in this group underwent evaluation for barriers to self care by a diabetes educators well versed with age specific barriers. After consideration of patients clinical, functional, and psychosocial background a geriatric diabetes team devised strategy to help patients cope respective barriers. A care manager then implemented the coping strategies by educating patients and caregivers. She also made home visits to assess any safety issues not know to clinic based geriatric team. She helped the patients and caregivers with all aspects of care coordination. Patients in this group received phone contact from care managers as many times as needed over the six month intervention period.
Other: Intervention for age specific barriers to self care
The intervention included developing strategies to help patients cope with their barriers to self care. The intervention were implemented by care manager over 6 month period in person and by phone calls. During the six to twelve month period subjects did not have any contact with study staff or care manager.
Other Names:
  • Clinical
  • Functional
  • Psychosocial
  • Economic
No Intervention: Attention Control Group
The subjects in the group received similar, in person, contact as the intervention group. An educator, separate from the one involved in the intervention team, called patents in this group for a total of eleven time within the first six months. The phone calls were forces toward general discussion without any diabetes related advice.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
change in hemoglobin A1c
Time Frame: 6 and 12 months
The primary outcome of the study is to measure change in A1c before and after intervention at 6-months and at 12-months
6 and 12 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in clinical, functional and psycho social tests and questionnaires
Time Frame: 6 and 12 months
Tests, surveys and questionnaires used during study visits are as follows: Demographic and medical history, hypoglycemia history and calendar, medication adherence survey, modified clock making test, trail making test A and B, verbal fluency test, activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, 6 minute walk test, Tinetti test, geriatric depression scale, problem areas in diabetes assessment, self care inventory, determine nutrition test, social support assessment.
6 and 12 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Joslin Diabetes Center

Collaborators

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
United States Department of Defense

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Medha N Munshi, MD, Joslin Diabetes Center

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

November 1, 2006

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 1, 2012

Study Completion (Actual)

December 1, 2012

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 16, 2011

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 23, 2011

First Posted (Estimate)

November 29, 2011

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

March 28, 2014

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 26, 2014

Last Verified

March 1, 2014

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 06-15

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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