Previous studies revealed that HbA1c increased overall in the U.S. in the past decade. Additionally, health inequities in type 1 diabetes (T1D) outcomes by race-ethnicity and insurance type persist. This study examines the trends in HbA1c from 2016 to 2022 stratified by race-ethnicity and insurance in a large multicenter national database. We analyzed glycemic outcomes and diabetes device use trends for over 48,000 people living with type 1 diabetes (PwT1D) from three adult and twelve pediatric centers in the T1D Exchange Quality Improvement Collaborative (T1DX-QI), comparing data from 2016-2017 with data from 2021-2022. The mean HbA1c in 2021-2022 was lower at 8.4% compared to the mean HbA1c in 2016-2017 of 8.7% (0.3% improvement; p<0.01). Over the same period, the percentage of PwT1D using a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), insulin pump, or hybrid closed-loop system increased (45%, 12%, and 33%, respectively). However, these improvements were not equitably demonstrated across racial-ethnic groups or insurance types. Racial-ethnic and insurance-based inequities persisted over all seven years across all outcomes; comparing non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic Black PwT1D, disparate gaps in HbA1c (1.2-1.6%), CGM (30%), pump (25-35%), and HCLS (up to 20%) are illuminated. Population-level data on outcomes, including hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), can provide trends and insights into strategies to improve health for PwT1D. The T1DX-QI cohort showed a significant improvement in HbA1c from 2016-2022. Improvements in diabetes device use are also demonstrated. However, these increases were inconsistent across all racial-ethnic groups or insurance types, an important focus for future T1D population health improvement work.
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