UAB - Center for Clinical and Translational Science

Advancing Diabetes Management for People With Physical Disabilities Optimally Through Primary Care-Based Telehealth (ADDOPT)

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to compare 2 primary care based telehealth interventions- 1) digital health coaching and 2) remote patient monitoring for improving glycemic (blood sugar levels) control and overall health outcomes in individuals with physical disabilities, type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and at least one chronic condition. The project aims to determine which intervention is more effective in reducing blood sugar levels, improving patient-reported outcomes such as diabetes-related distress, and facilitating the implementation of these approaches in real-world primary care settings serving vulnerable populations. The findings intend to inform about optimal telehealth strategies for managing multiple chronic conditions in underserved groups, there by supporting improved health equity and quality of care.

Condition

Type 2 Diabetes

Eligibility

Eligible Ages: Between 18 Years and 89 Years
Eligible Sex: All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Inclusion Criteria

Physical Disability 2. Diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes 3. Hemoglobin A1c ≥7% within 3 months of screening 4. Must have at least 1 additional chronic conditions from the list below Hypertension Congestive Heart Failure Coronary Artery Disease Hyperlipidemia Stroke Arthritis Asthma Cancer Chronic Kidney Disease (Stages 1-4) COPD Osteoporosis Multiple Sclerosis Parkinsons

Exclusion Criteria

Intellectual, Learning, Developmental Disabilities 2. Non-english speakers 3. Currently pregnant 4. Significant vision loss preventing use of phone/tablet for interventions 5. Received Remote Patient Monitoring or Digital Health Coaching for T2DM management within 30 days of enrollment 6. End-stage kidney disease (on dialysis) 7. Does not report having a physical disability 8. Perceived unwillingness or inability to participate

Study Design

Phase: N/A
Study Type: Interventional
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention Model Description: All participants enrolled in the study will receive one of the core interventions: 1. Digital Health coaching 2. Remote Patient Monitoring 3. Combination of Digital Health coaching + Remote Patient Monitoring
Primary Purpose: Treatment
Masking: None (Open Label)

Arm Groups

Arm	Description	Assigned Intervention
Experimental Digital Health Coaching	Participants receive individual digital health coaching by phone: weekly calls for the first 12 weeks addressing goal setting, supportive environments for behavior change, physical activity, and nutrition, followed by biweekly calls for an additional 12 weeks (weeks 13-24) to reinforce habits and advance goals.	Behavioral: Digital Health Coaching This program will be developed using existing, evidence-based curricula for chronic disease self-management. Prior to initiating health coaching with participants, coaches will review data collected related to SDoH to further tailor the intervention as appropriate for housing stability, access to food and transportation, and interpersonal safety. All coaches will have access to participants' EMRs such that they can view medical information throughout the intervention. Coaches will be trained using a curriculum developed by Family and Community Medicine's inter-professional care team and our partners at NCHPAD, making the coaching inclusive of people with physical disabilities, such that the coaches are proficient in motivating behavior change related to resilience, physical activity, nutrition, mindfulness, and relationship-building, among others. Behavioral: Continuous Glucose Monitoring Teleconsults + Digital Health Coaching In this arm, participants receive an integrated approach to diabetes management combining both digital health coaching and CGM-teleconsults, added in response to stakeholder and reviewer feedback expressing interest in benefiting from both interventions. Health coaches and CGM-trained team members work collaboratively to help participants set realistic goals and reinforce lifestyle strategies: the health coach evaluates the participant's food choices in relation to blood sugar patterns, while the CGM team reinforces the nutrition and physical activity recommendations set by the health coach during CGM teleconsults. Information flows bidirectionally - the CGM team informs the health coach of areas needing more emphasis, and the health coach flags participants who may need closer monitoring - so that each participant's care remains cohesive and adaptive to their glucose data and behavioral progress together.
Experimental Continuous Glucose Monitoring Teleconsults	Participants receive continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) with periodic clinician teleconsults over 6 months. Study staff ship a CGM kit (sensor and reader, for participants without a compatible smartphone) to the participant's home; sensors are replaced per manufacturer guidelines. During onboarding, participants receive device education and safety counseling on recognizing and managing hypoglycemia (<70 mg/dL; severe <54 mg/dL) and hyperglycemia (>300 mg/dL). During each teleconsult, the primary care team reviews Time in Range, Time Above Range, and Time Below Range, identifies patterns between glucose and lifestyle factors, and adjusts goals or medications as needed.	Behavioral: Continuous Glucose Monitoring Teleconsults This comparator arm consists of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) with periodic teleconsult visits over 6 months, delivered by trained pharmacists, RDs, or nurses, with devices shipped centrally to participants' homes. Sensors are replaced per manufacturer guidelines. During onboarding, participants receive device education and standardized safety counseling on recognizing and managing hypoglycemia (<70 mg/dL; severe <54 mg/dL) and hyperglycemia (>300 mg/dL), including when to seek urgent or emergency care. During each teleconsult, the CGM team reviews Time in Range, Time Above Range, and Time Below Range, identifies patterns between glucose and lifestyle factors, and supports goal setting and medication adjustments as needed. Participants with repeated missed readings are contacted by the study team to troubleshoot adherence barriers.
Experimental Combination of Digital Health Coaching and CGM-Teleconsults	Participants receive both digital health coaching and CGM-teleconsults in an integrated approach.	Behavioral: Continuous Glucose Monitoring Teleconsults + Digital Health Coaching In this arm, participants receive an integrated approach to diabetes management combining both digital health coaching and CGM-teleconsults, added in response to stakeholder and reviewer feedback expressing interest in benefiting from both interventions. Health coaches and CGM-trained team members work collaboratively to help participants set realistic goals and reinforce lifestyle strategies: the health coach evaluates the participant's food choices in relation to blood sugar patterns, while the CGM team reinforces the nutrition and physical activity recommendations set by the health coach during CGM teleconsults. Information flows bidirectionally - the CGM team informs the health coach of areas needing more emphasis, and the health coach flags participants who may need closer monitoring - so that each participant's care remains cohesive and adaptive to their glucose data and behavioral progress together.

Recruiting Locations

UAB Highlands Hospital/Department of Family and Community Medicine
Birmingham, Alabama 35223

Contact:
Aseel El Zein Research Scientist, PhD, RDN
205-201-1507
assil.elzein352@gmail.com

More Details

Status: Recruiting
Sponsor: University of Alabama at Birmingham

Study Contact

Aseel El Zein, PhD
205-201-1507
assilelzein@uabmc.edu

Detailed Description

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines chronic diseases as conditions that last one year or more and require ongoing medical attention, limit activities of daily living, or both. Six in 10 adults in the U.S. are reported to have at least one chronic condition, while four in 10 adults in the U.S. are reported to have two or more chronic conditions.T2DM is one of the chronic conditions in the U.S. population that has been gradually increasing over the years. Over 34.2 million U.S. adults are affected by diabetes mellitus (DM); T2DM accounts for 90-95% of these.T2DM is often associated with other cardiometabolic diseases such as hypertension and obesity.T2DM is one of the strongest risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD), which are among the leading causes of death in the U.S. T2DM also results in physical disability because of complications such as leg amputation and vision loss. Individuals with physical disabilities face a disproportionate burden of T2DM and related chronic conditions, exacerbated by suboptimal social determinants of health (SDoH) such as reduced healthcare access and economic inequities.In general, 50-60% of disparities in T2DM outcomes can be attributed to social determinants of health (SDoH). SDoH are defined as the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age. Physical disability has an intimate relationship with SDoH such as race/ethnicity, sex, socioeconomic status, geographic location, access to and quality of healthcare, etc. Transformation from the status of able-bodied person to the status of disability leads to a disparity and decline in SDoH of these individuals in terms of geographic location, healthcare access, transportation, economic support, food security, and so on. Teleheath interventions, including digital health coaching (DHC) and remote patient monitoring(RPM), have emerged as promising strategies to address these disaprtiites, improve glycemic control, and overcome barriers to care. Developing an optimal, interdisciplinary primary care delivery model incorporating digital health coaching or RPM may play a crucial role in overcoming the obstacle of suboptimal patient-physician communication by enhancing both physician and patient satisfaction and improving population health. Both digital health coaching and RPM address SDoH, are being implemented by health systems, and show evidence of effectiveness through trials as well as real-world effectiveness. However, there exists a clear evidence gap about which of these two interventions are superior and will best optimize population health outcomes. Further, there is an evidence gap about how these telehealth interventions may help people with physical disabilities and multiple chronic conditions and affect their long-term outcomes. The project design addresses this critical gaps identified in earlier research. While both interventions (RPM and DHC) show promise individually, no direct comparisons exist in populations with physical disabilities- a group disproportionally affteced by diabtese and access barriers. Previous studies often excluded this demographic or focused on single chronic conditions, despite evidence that multimorbidity complicates self-management. Aditionally, implementation science gaps presists regarding workflow integration in real-world primary car settings serving vulnerable groups.

Notice

Study information shown on this site is derived from ClinicalTrials.gov (a public registry operated by the National Institutes of Health). The listing of studies provided is not certain to be all studies for which you might be eligible. Furthermore, study eligibility requirements can be difficult to understand and may change over time, so it is wise to speak with your medical care provider and individual research study teams when making decisions related to participation.