Shared Telemedicine Appointments for Young Adults with T1D and Depressive Symptoms—Improved Attendance and Symptom Regulation

Abstract

Background: Adherence to care recommendations for type 1 diabetes (T1D) may be complicated by the presence of depressive symptoms. Shared medical appointments (SMA) for T1D via home telemedicine may uniquely address the needs of depressed young adult T1D patients (YA), since the treatment model encourages social interaction and support while patients are safe at home. Objective: Evaluate the efficacy of SMA via home telemedicine for improving care adherence and depressive symptom regulation in YA with T1D. Methods: Participants in the Colorado Young Adults with T1D (CoYoT1) prospective study of SMA via home telemedicine completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D) at baseline and after one year. We calculated somatic and cognitive CES-D subscale scores based on its theorized factor structure. Results: Patients in CoYoT1 did not experience significant changes in depressive symptoms, but males in the control group, who only attended in-person appointments, reported significantly higher depressive symptoms after one year (see Figure 1, p = 0.03). Further, among those with depressive symptoms at baseline, CoYoT1 patients attended one more appointment on average than control patients (1.9 vs. 0.9, p = 0.008). Conclusions: SMA via home telemedicine may help YA with T1D regulate depressive symptoms, while also promoting clinic attendance. Disclosure M.W. Reid: None. J. Raymond: None. J.F. Thomas: None.