By Isle of Wight Observer
The Isle of Wight NHS Trust have received incredible results this Diabetes Week, as the Paediatric Diabetes team continue to roll out an innovative approach to supporting patients during the coronavirus pandemic.
The team consists of two consultants, one paediatric diabetes nurse, a specialist dietician, a counsellor and an administrator. With the support and contributions from the parents and carers of these children and young people, the team were able to ensure that they could still closely monitor the patients while adhering to the Governments social distancing guidance.
To monitor and treat diabetes, a lot relies on technology. The team need to ensure that:
- Vulnerable patients input into a continuous glucose monitor with data uploads so the team can review their control remotely
- Other children and young people with other monitoring devices are encouraged to do uploads from home which makes remote reviews easier.
- Children or Young People are also asked to upload their current insulin pump settings.
However, they also needed to monitor the weight, height and the HBA1C, a measure of blood glucose control over three months. So, the team devised a sort of ‘’drive through’’ socially-distant way of doing this.
They invite the Child or Young Person to a drive- through assessment which should take no longer than five minutes. They come in on every half an hour for a day so no two get to meet in the outpatient department
The team measure the weight, height and do a finger-prick for the HBA1c test and they then go home. The rest of the clinic is then done from the comfort of their home via the NHS Attend Anywhere platform.
Diabetes week runs from June 8 to14. Everyone’s experience of diabetes is different but they are united by a common goal, building a better future. This year https://www.diabetes.org.uk/ are asking for help to paint #TheBigPicture. The triumphs, the setbacks, the daily routines and unexpected turns
