1218-P: Interactive Insulin Teaching by Pharmacists Prior to Hospital Discharge

• Published in: Diabetes (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 69; no. Supplement_1
• Main Authors: ODOM, JESSICA M., GHIZZONI-BURNS, ALYSON, PROBST, MEGAN, SUTHERLAND, MELANIE W., FAIR, MELISSA L., WEBER, SANDRA L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York American Diabetes Association 01.06.2020
• Subjects: Diabetes mellitus; Education; Hypoglycemia; Insulin; Patients; Pharmacists; Statistical analysis
• ISSN: 0012-1797; 1939-327X
• DOI: 10.2337/db20-1218-P

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the impact on patient health outcomes of incorporating iPad insulin education videos into standardized pharmacist insulin teaching prior to inpatient discharge. Inclusion criteria comprised of hospitalized patients >18 years old with either new insulin orders or, if taking insulin prior to admission, a HbA1c ≥ 8.5%. Patients were excluded if they did not speak English or were discharged to a facility. From July 2018 to January 2019, control patients (n=180) received standard, bedside insulin-administration education from a trained pharmacist. From February to June 2019, intervention patients (n=114) received pharmacist-deployed educational videos on iPads that included the same content as the standard education. The primary outcome was the change in an eight-item survey administered pre- and post-education, assessing confidence in insulin administration and storage, hypoglycemia management, and sharps disposal on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 indicating highest confidence. Secondary outcomes included 30-day hospital readmission and change in HbA1c post-discharge. Pharmacist-provided education significantly improved confidence across all survey items in both the intervention and control groups (mean (SD) increase = 0.57 (0.74), p < 0.01). There were no statistically significant differences between groups after adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and prior insulin use. Baseline HbA1c was similar in both groups (10.7 vs. 10.9, p= 0.51) and decreased within 4 months post-discharge (9.4 vs. 8.7, p= 0.09). The decrease did not differ between groups. Diabetes-related readmissions were similar between the two groups (14 vs. 13%, p= 0.93). Inpatient education by pharmacists prior to discharge improved patient confidence in insulin administration for both traditional and technology-enhanced education groups. Technology-enhanced insulin education may reduce pharmacist burden without negatively impacting patient outcomes. Disclosure J.M. Odom: None. A. Ghizzoni-Burns: None. M. Probst: None. M.W. Sutherland: None. M.L. Fair: None. S.L. Weber: None. Funding Prisma Health