Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2I-STARTNCT03999268
Insulin Start Therapy Application With Resources and Training
A study testing I-START and Standard Insulin Administration Education in people with Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, run by University of Pittsburgh at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The purpose of the I-START study is to evaluate an educational phone application (app) designed to support patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) by reinforcing the necessary skills needed for insulin administration as part of diabetes self-management. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
- What is being tested?
- I-START and Standard Insulin Administration Education
- Type of treatment
- Injection or infusion, Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 41 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 25 Nov 2019to 25 May 2022
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- 18 years of age
- Able to read and follow study instructions in English (translations will not be provided)
- T2DM requiring the use of prandial and/or long-acting insulin
- Ability to self-administer insulin therapy
- Willing to download the study app on their smartphone
- Able and willing to provide a signed consent
- Able and willing to follow all study procedures
Who cannot join
- Pregnant (self-reported)
- Participants from the same household participating concurrently
- Use of a smartphone with iOS version 10.0 or lower
- Use of a smartphone with Android OS 5.0 "Lollipop" or lower
- Currently using a continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion device
- Participants with major depression
Show all 10Show fewer
- Currently or planning to participate in a similar study that would affect the results of this study
- Currently or planning to participate in a clinical study that involves taking a drug, supplement, or use of an investigational drug
- Continued hospitalization or transfer to an assisted living facility
- Any condition the PI or designee deems to pose a risk to the participant in the study (includes anything that may prevent full participation in the study)
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213
About this study
Official title: Evaluation of Insulin Start Therapy Application With Resources and Training (I-START) to Address Barriers to Insulin Therapy
The purpose of the I-START study is to evaluate an educational phone application (app) designed to support patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) by reinforcing the necessary skills needed for insulin administration as part of diabetes self-management.
Read the detailed description
Despite advances in technology and delivery systems, patients with T2DM continue to be reluctant to begin and adhere to insulin therapy for a variety of reasons. Introducing insulin therapy is particularly problematic during a hospitalization or a brief routine outpatient visit given time and resource constraints. Teaching people to administer an insulin injection requires time and ongoing support. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate an educational phone application designed to support patients with T2DM by reinforcing skills and self-management behaviors needed for insulin administration. Patients with T2DM who are starting insulin or need updated instruction on insulin will be invited to participate in this study to examine the effect of the phone app on psychological barriers to insulin as well as patient and provider satisfaction with and usability of the phone app in both outpatient and hospital settings.
- Conditions
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
- Being tested
- I-START, Standard Insulin Administration Education
- Keywords
- Psychological insulin resistance, Diabetes self-management, Mobile application
- Medical subject headings
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
I-STARTBehavioural
Designed as a supplementary educational tool for patients on insulin therapy, I-START includes an injection plan to reinforce the knowledge and behaviors that users have been taught by their health care provider. This is done through eight modules created for the benefit of new and experienced insulin users, and those using pens or vial/syringes. The modules address a variety of topics pertinent to insulin therapy, including overcoming psychosocial barriers, injection techniques and best practices, managing hypo- and hyperglycemic events, monitoring blood glucose and troubleshooting and problem solving. At the end of each module, users can self-evaluate their confidence in mastering the information presented. This gives them the ability to move forward into the next module, repeat material already presented and/or save features of the modules that they would like to revisit at another time.
Standard Insulin Administration EducationBehavioural
Standard best practices for training patients to administer insulin therapy include 1) a thorough patient assessment prior to therapy initiation to address barriers, including evaluation for diminished cognitive capacity or other problem that may impair safe insulin self-administration, and assessment of health literacy and numeracy skills; 2) observation of a patient's injection practice, with re-education provided as needed; 3) use of appropriate language is necessary when teaching injection technique; 4) dose preparation, which includes inspecting the insulin dose for accuracy (following manufacturer instructions); and 5) review of signs, symptoms and treatment of hypoglycemia must be included as a critical component of the training.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention | Experimental | Participants assigned to the intervention group will receive insulin administration education according to standard procedures plus have access to the I-START app. Over the course of the study period, participants will be able to use I-START as much or as little as they prefer. Receives: Behavioral: I-START; Behavioral: Standard Insulin Administration Education |
| Usual Care | Active comparator | Participants in the usual care group will receive insulin administration education according to standard procedures. They will not have access to the I-START app. Receives: Behavioral: Standard Insulin Administration Education |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change from baseline in psychological insulin resistance at 2 weeks
Psychological insulin resistance will be assessed using the Barriers to Insulin Treatment Questionnaire (BIT), a short instrument that is easy to administer and may be used by both clinicians and researchers (Petrak et al, 2007). The BIT Questionnaire includes 14 items, a total sum score, and the following five subscales: fear of injection and self-testing, expectations regarding positive insulin related outcomes, expected hardship from insulin treatment, stigmatization by insulin injection, and fear of hypoglycemia. Each item is scored on a scale from 1 to 10, which are summed and averaged for total scores; the higher the score, the greater the level of concern.
Measured: 2 weeks
Change from baseline in psychological insulin resistance at 3 months
Psychological insulin resistance will be assessed using the Barriers to Insulin Treatment Questionnaire (BIT), a short instrument that is easy to administer and may be used by both clinicians and researchers (Petrak et al, 2007). The BIT Questionnaire includes 14 items, a total sum score, and the following five subscales: fear of injection and self-testing, expectations regarding positive insulin related outcomes, expected hardship from insulin treatment, stigmatization by insulin injection, and fear of hypoglycemia. Each item is scored on a scale from 1 to 10, which are summed and averaged for total scores; the higher the score, the greater the level of concern.
Measured: 3 months
Change from baseline in psychological insulin resistance at 6 months
Psychological insulin resistance will be assessed using the Barriers to Insulin Treatment Questionnaire (BIT), a short instrument that is easy to administer and may be used by both clinicians and researchers (Petrak et al, 2007). The BIT Questionnaire includes 14 items, a total sum score, and the following five subscales: fear of injection and self-testing, expectations regarding positive insulin related outcomes, expected hardship from insulin treatment, stigmatization by insulin injection, and fear of hypoglycemia. Each item is scored on a scale from 1 to 10, which are summed and averaged for total scores; the higher the score, the greater the level of concern.
Measured: 6 months
Secondary outcomes (10)
Change from baseline in glycemic control at 3 months
Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) will serve as a clinical indicator of glycemic control. HbA1c will serve as the clinical study outcome and measure of glycemic control. HbA1c values will be obtained from the electronic medical record (EMR) system.
Measured: 3 months
Change from baseline in glycemic control at 6 months
Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) will serve as a clinical indicator of glycemic control. HbA1c will serve as the clinical study outcome and measure of glycemic control. HbA1c values will be obtained from the electronic medical record (EMR) system.
Measured: 6 months
Change from baseline in medication adherence at 3 months
Medication adherence will be assessed with the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8). The scales includes 8 items. Scores can range from 0 to 8; the higher the score, the more adherent the respondent is considered.
Measured: 3 months
Change from baseline in medication adherence at 6 months
Medication adherence will be assessed with the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8). Scores can range from 0 to 8; the higher the score, the more adherent the respondent is considered.
Measured: 6 months
Change from baseline in diabetes empowerment at 3 months
Empowerment will be measured using the 8-item Diabetes Empowerment Scale-Short Form (DES-SF), which measures an individual's perceived ability to manage psychosocial aspects of diabetes, assess dissatisfaction and readiness to change self-management plans and set and achieve diabetes goals (Anderson et al, 2000; Anderson et al, 2003). Possible scores are 1 to 5 for each item, summed for a possible total score of 8 to 40. Higher scores indicate greater empowerment.
Measured: 3 months
Change from baseline in diabetes empowerment at 6 months
Empowerment will be measured using the 8-item Diabetes Empowerment Scale-Short Form (DES-SF), which measures an individual's perceived ability to manage psychosocial aspects of diabetes, assess dissatisfaction and readiness to change self-management plans and set and achieve diabetes goals (Anderson et al, 2000; Anderson et al, 2003). Possible scores are 1 to 5 for each item, summed for a possible total score of 8 to 40. Higher scores indicate greater empowerment.
Measured: 6 months
Change from baseline in diabetes distress at 3 months
Diabetes distress will be evaluated with the 17-item Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS17), which assesses four dimensions of distress - emotional, regimen, interpersonal and physician (Polonsky et al, 2005), and has shown a consistent pattern of relationships with HbA1c, diabetes self-efficacy, diet and physical activity in multiple samples of patients with T2DM (Fisher et al, 2012). Individual items are scored from 1 to 6; total scores are the average of all individual item scores; higher scores indicate greater distress.
Measured: 3 months
Change from baseline in diabetes distress at 6 months
Diabetes distress will be evaluated with the 17-item Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS17), which assesses four dimensions of distress - emotional, regimen, interpersonal and physician (Polonsky et al, 2005), and has shown a consistent pattern of relationships with HbA1c, diabetes self-efficacy, diet and physical activity in multiple samples of patients with T2DM (Fisher et al, 2012). Individual items are scored from 1 to 6; total scores are the average of all individual item scores; higher scores indicate greater distress.
Measured: 6 months
Patient Satisfaction
Patient satisfaction will be assessed using the validated Diabetes Medication System Rating Questionnaire-Short Form (DMSRQ-SF) (Peyrot et al, 2014). Items are scored 0 to 100; higher scores equal greater levels of item/construct being measured.
Measured: 6 months
Provider Satisfaction
Clinician experiences and perspectives on satisfaction of the app will be assessed through a study specific satisfaction survey
Measured: 6 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted26 Jun 2019
- Study start25 Nov 2019
- Primary completion25 May 2022
- Study completion25 May 2022
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2Studies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of PittsburghThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 41 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Pittsburgh
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Linda Siminerio, University of Pittsburgh
- Investigators
- Linda Siminerio, RN, PhD, CDE, Principal investigator, Professor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03999268
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- STUDY19040017
- Acronym
- I-START
- Status last verified
- Jul 2022
- First submitted
- 21 Jun 2019
- Last updated
- 8 Jul 2022
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: De-identified data set used for final analysis will be made available to other researchers who have obtained appropriate regulatory approval
Publications
Krall JS, Childs B, Mehrotra N. Mobile Applications to Support Diabetes Self-Management Education: Patient Experiences and Provider Perspectives. J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2023 Sep;17(5):1206-1211. doi: 10.1177/19322968231174037. Epub 2023 May 10.
PubMed 37162000
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 8 Jul 2022. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Evaluation of Insulin Start Therapy Application With Resources and Training (I-START) to Address Barriers to Insulin Therapy
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03999268
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- I-START / STUDY19040017
- Conditions
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
- Keywords
- Psychological insulin resistance, Diabetes self-management, Mobile application
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 41 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of PittsburghUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 25 Nov 2019 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 25 May 2022 (actual)
- Study completion
- 25 May 2022 (actual)
- First posted
- 26 Jun 2019 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The purpose of the I-START study is to evaluate an educational phone application (app) designed to support patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) by reinforcing the necessary skills needed for insulin administration as part of diabetes self-management.
Detailed description
Despite advances in technology and delivery systems, patients with T2DM continue to be reluctant to begin and adhere to insulin therapy for a variety of reasons. Introducing insulin therapy is particularly problematic during a hospitalization or a brief routine outpatient visit given time and resource constraints. Teaching people to administer an insulin injection requires time and ongoing support. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate an educational phone application designed to support patients with T2DM by reinforcing skills and self-management behaviors needed for insulin administration. Patients with T2DM who are starting insulin or need updated instruction on insulin will be invited to participate in this study to examine the effect of the phone app on psychological barriers to insulin as well as patient and provider satisfaction with and usability of the phone app in both outpatient and hospital settings.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention | Experimental | Behavioral: I-START, Behavioral: Standard Insulin Administration EducationParticipants assigned to the intervention group will receive insulin administration education according to standard procedures plus have access to the I-START app. Over the course of the study period, participants will be able to use I-START as much or as little as they prefer. |
| Usual Care | Active comparator | Behavioral: Standard Insulin Administration EducationParticipants in the usual care group will receive insulin administration education according to standard procedures. They will not have access to the I-START app. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (7 listed)
- 18 years of age
- Able to read and follow study instructions in English (translations will not be provided)
- T2DM requiring the use of prandial and/or long-acting insulin
- Ability to self-administer insulin therapy
- Willing to download the study app on their smartphone
Key exclusion criteria (10 listed)
- Pregnant (self-reported)
- Participants from the same household participating concurrently
- Use of a smartphone with iOS version 10.0 or lower
- Use of a smartphone with Android OS 5.0 "Lollipop" or lower
- Currently using a continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion device
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| I-STARTDesigned as a supplementary educational tool for patients on insulin therapy, I-START includes an injection plan to reinforce the knowledge and behaviors that users have been taught by their health care provider. This is done through eight modules created for the benefit of new and experienced insulin users, and those using pens or vial/syringes. The modules address a variety of topics pertinent to insulin therapy, including overcoming psychosocial barriers, injection techniques and best practices, managing hypo- and hyperglycemic events, monitoring blood glucose and troubleshooting and problem solving. At the end of each module, users can self-evaluate their confidence in mastering the information presented. This gives them the ability to move forward into the next module, repeat material already presented and/or save features of the modules that they would like to revisit at another time. | Behavioural | Intervention |
| Standard Insulin Administration EducationStandard best practices for training patients to administer insulin therapy include 1) a thorough patient assessment prior to therapy initiation to address barriers, including evaluation for diminished cognitive capacity or other problem that may impair safe insulin self-administration, and assessment of health literacy and numeracy skills; 2) observation of a patient's injection practice, with re-education provided as needed; 3) use of appropriate language is necessary when teaching injection technique; 4) dose preparation, which includes inspecting the insulin dose for accuracy (following manufacturer instructions); and 5) review of signs, symptoms and treatment of hypoglycemia must be included as a critical component of the training. | Behavioural | Intervention, Usual Care |
Primary outcome
Change from baseline in psychological insulin resistance at 2 weeks
Time frame: 2 weeks
Psychological insulin resistance will be assessed using the Barriers to Insulin Treatment Questionnaire (BIT), a short instrument that is easy to administer and may be used by both clinicians and researchers (Petrak et al, 2007). The BIT Questionnaire includes 14 items, a total sum score, and the following five subscales: fear of injection and self-testing, expectations regarding positive insulin related outcomes, expected hardship from insulin treatment, stigmatization by insulin injection, and fear of hypoglycemia. Each item is scored on a scale from 1 to 10, which are summed and averaged for total scores; the higher the score, the greater the level of concern.
Change from baseline in psychological insulin resistance at 3 months
Time frame: 3 months
Psychological insulin resistance will be assessed using the Barriers to Insulin Treatment Questionnaire (BIT), a short instrument that is easy to administer and may be used by both clinicians and researchers (Petrak et al, 2007). The BIT Questionnaire includes 14 items, a total sum score, and the following five subscales: fear of injection and self-testing, expectations regarding positive insulin related outcomes, expected hardship from insulin treatment, stigmatization by insulin injection, and fear of hypoglycemia. Each item is scored on a scale from 1 to 10, which are summed and averaged for total scores; the higher the score, the greater the level of concern.
Change from baseline in psychological insulin resistance at 6 months
Time frame: 6 months
Psychological insulin resistance will be assessed using the Barriers to Insulin Treatment Questionnaire (BIT), a short instrument that is easy to administer and may be used by both clinicians and researchers (Petrak et al, 2007). The BIT Questionnaire includes 14 items, a total sum score, and the following five subscales: fear of injection and self-testing, expectations regarding positive insulin related outcomes, expected hardship from insulin treatment, stigmatization by insulin injection, and fear of hypoglycemia. Each item is scored on a scale from 1 to 10, which are summed and averaged for total scores; the higher the score, the greater the level of concern.
10 secondary outcomes
Change from baseline in glycemic control at 3 months
Time frame: 3 months
Change from baseline in glycemic control at 6 months
Time frame: 6 months
Change from baseline in medication adherence at 3 months
Time frame: 3 months
Change from baseline in medication adherence at 6 months
Time frame: 6 months
Change from baseline in diabetes empowerment at 3 months
Time frame: 3 months
Change from baseline in diabetes empowerment at 6 months
Time frame: 6 months
Change from baseline in diabetes distress at 3 months
Time frame: 3 months
Change from baseline in diabetes distress at 6 months
Time frame: 6 months
Patient Satisfaction
Time frame: 6 months
Provider Satisfaction
Time frame: 6 months
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 8 Jul 2022.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 37162000Krall JS, Childs B, Mehrotra N. Mobile Applications to Support Diabetes Self-Management Education: Patient Experiences and Provider Perspectives. J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2023 Sep;17(5):1206-1211. doi: 10.1177/19322968231174037. Epub 2023 May 10.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. De-identified data set used for final analysis will be made available to other researchers who have obtained appropriate regulatory approval
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Linda Siminerio, RN, PhD, CDE principal investigator
Professor
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing I-START and Standard Insulin Administration Education in people with Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, run by University of Pittsburgh at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 7 inclusion and 10 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 8 Jul 2022. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change from baseline in psychological insulin resistance at 2 weeks (time frame: 2 weeks). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT03999268, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 8 Jul 2022.