Poster 04: A digital approach to diabetes education, including needs-based triage and optional app coaching, achieves good completion rates and weight loss

Background: Completion of diabetes structured education (DSE) has historically been low, with only 5.6% of participants attending within 12 months of diagnosis in 2020 . Digital DSE has the potential to increase uptake.   Here we present outcomes of a remote DSE service.

Method: 2578 participants  were triaged to three levels of care based on need, including self-efficacy, knowledge and emotional eating.  Coaching frequency differed per level (1 = least frequent coaching, 3 = most frequent coaching). Participants accessed 12 weeks of DSE, personalised nutritional advice and behaviour change support from a specialist coach via a choice of app or phone coaching.   

Results: 56.6% of participants (n=1459, 50% male, 50% female) completed DSE. Completion at levels 1 to 3 was 64.9%, 64.4% and 41.3%, respectively.  57.8% of app and 55.2% of phone participants completed.

Weight data was available for 490 participants. Of these, 81% lost weight.  Average weight loss was 3.7kg (3.8%).

At levels 1 , 2 and 3 average weight loss was 3.9%, 4.1% and 3.5%, respectively.

Average weight loss was 4.9%, (n=230) in app and 2.9% in phone (n=260) pathways.

86.1% of participants where data was available (n=101) reduced their HbA1c (14mmol/mol average reduction)

Conclusions: A digital/remote pathway achieved completion rates beyond the national average, indicating potentially increased uptake of DSE. App coaching was a clinically effective approach to provide DSE.  The use of triage to determine intensity of coaching tested here potentially offers a means to optimise value (outcomes/cost) of DSE.