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Type 1 Diabetes MellitisNCT06598345

Impact of Integrated Pet Care on Glycemic Control and Diabetes Responsibility

A study testing Routine Pet Fish Care and Collaborative Communication in people with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitis, run by Duke University at 1 site in United States.

Enrolling by invitation

Enrolling by invitation. The study team selects and invites participants, usually from an existing group of patients.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if incorporating the structured care of a pet fish into a family-based diabetes self-care routine combined with communication skills training works to improve glycemic control, blood glucose monitoring frequency and blood glucose review in early adolescents with suboptimal… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 10 to 13 years
Conditions the study is for
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitis
What is being tested?
Routine Pet Fish Care and Collaborative Communication
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
60 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
16 Apr 2025to 31 Aug 2027
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

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 10 to 13 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child

Who may be able to join

  • age 10-13 years (inclusive)
  • diagnosis of T1DM for at least one year
  • fluency in English or Spanish, (d) recent HbA1c value 7.5% - 14%
  • utilization of a CGM or glucometer that links with software to enable viewing and documentation in daily report including a section to enter "notes" (i.e. CGM/software, Dexcom/Clarity; Freestyle Libre/LibreView; AccuChek,OneTouch (glucometers)/MySugr)
  • current pet fish at home or willingness to obtain a pet fish if randomized to that intervention.

Who cannot join

  • clinical or laboratory characteristics suggestive of type 2 DM
  • involvement in foster care
  • dual-home living situation
  • severe psychiatric disorders
  • developmental delay or cognitive impairment that make it difficult to establish consistent diabetes and pet care behaviors
  • current participation in another study that may impact glycemic control
  • HbA1c >14% (because these individuals may need a more intensive intervention than this is intended to provide)
  • lack of a computer or compatible cell phone for uploading CGM or glucometer data.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

United States1 site
  • Duke University

    Durham, North Carolina, 27705

Other trials in United States

About this study

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if incorporating the structured care of a pet fish into a family-based diabetes self-care routine combined with communication skills training works to improve glycemic control, blood glucose monitoring frequency and blood glucose review in early adolescents with suboptimal control of type 1 diabetes.

Being tested
Routine Pet Fish Care, Collaborative Communication
Keywords
type 1 diabetes
Medical subject headings
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Routine Pet Fish CareBehavioural

    Participants in the Routine Group will be provided specific instructions for coupling the daily and weekly fish care and diabetes care throughout the 12-week intervention They will also be told to monitor BG four times daily, review BG readings with their parent weekly and document the BG checks and weekly reviews on their device's software.

  • Collaborative CommunicationBehavioural

    Parents and participants in the Collaborative Communication group will be given recommendations for how to conduct weekly meetings in a collaborative approach based on a modified version of the Minute Meeting protocol.

Study groups in NCT06598345
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Pet Fish with Integrated Diabetes Care + Collaborative CommunicationExperimentalParticipants will receive specific instructions for coupling daily and weekly fish care and diabetes care throughout the 12-week intervention and how to conduct weekly collaborative communication meetings.
Receives: Behavioral: Routine Pet Fish Care; Behavioral: Collaborative Communication
Pet Fish with Integrated Diabetes Care OnlyActive comparatorParticipants in the Pet Fish with Integrated Diabetes Care Only Group will be provided specific instructions for coupling the fish care and diabetes care throughout the 12-week intervention.
Receives: Behavioral: Routine Pet Fish Care
ControlNo interventionParticipants in the Control Group will be told to monitor BG (blood glucose) four times daily, review BG readings with their parent weekly and document on their device's software.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Recruitment rate

    Recruitment rate will be calculated as [number of participants assenting] divided by [number who were invited]

    Measured: Baseline

  2. Fidelity to BGM (blood glucose monitoring) partnered with fish feeding

    Fidelity to BGM partnered with fish feeding will be assessed by calculating the percentage of BG checks that were partnered with fish feeding.

    Measured: 3 months

  3. Fidelity to weekly reviews partnered with fish tank maintenance

    Fidelity to weekly reviews partnered with fish tank maintenance will be assessed by calculating the percentage of BG (blood glucose) reviews that were partnered with tank maintenance. The research team will review the data uploads on a weekly basis.

    Measured: 3 months

  4. Retention rate

    Retention rate will be calculated as [number of participants who continue fish care tasks] divided by [number who were eligible upon completion of the baseline assessment].

    Measured: 3 months

Secondary outcomes (5)
  1. Number of blood glucose (BG) readings receiving parental review

    Weekly BG review will be determined using the Weekly Review notations on the device's digital platform.

    Measured: Baseline, during intervention and post-intervention (monthly intervals, up to 6 months)

  2. Time in Range (TIR)

    Time in range (TIR) for participants using a continuous glucose monitor will be expressed as percentage of glucose readings between 70-180 mg/dL for the 2 weeks prior to the study visit per the report (i.e. Dexcom Clarity®) which is downloaded in clinic as standard of care.

    Measured: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months

  3. Self Care Inventory (SCI) (modified)

    Three items from this validated measure assessing perceptions of adherence to diabetes self-care recommendations (BGM, BG review, insulin adjustment) over the previous 4 weeks will be used. Responses are on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 0 = "Never do it" to 4 = "Always do this as recommended without fail".

    Measured: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months

  4. Blood glucose monitoring (BGM) frequency

    Daily BGM frequency will be determined using the BG notations on device's digital platform. The percentage of days on which participants complete four SMBGs (self-monitoring of blood glucose) will be reported.

    Measured: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months

  5. HbA1c (Hemoglobin A1C) level

    HbA1c is a biomarker that provides an estimate of glycemic control over the previous 3 months. HbA1c will be measured using a finger stick blood sample analyzed on a DCA Vantage Analyzer (Siemens). ADA recommends a goal of HbA1c <7% for this early adolescent age group.

    Measured: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted19 Sep 2024
  2. Study start16 Apr 2025
  3. Primary completion30 Jun 2027 (estimated)
  4. Study completion31 Aug 2027 (estimated)

Resources

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
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Care provider, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
60 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06598345
Sponsor's protocol ID
Pro00115936
Status last verified
Apr 2026
First submitted
13 Sep 2024
Last updated
9 Apr 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Routine Pet Fish Care and Collaborative Communication in people with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitis, run by Duke University 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 5 inclusion and 8 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: enrolling by invitation, as of the sponsor's last update on 9 Apr 2026. 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?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

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?

Recruitment rate (time frame: Baseline). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
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 9 Apr 2026.

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