Developing Dissemination Strategies for Healthcare Providers to Advance the Reach of T1D Psychosocial Care

About This Grant

PROJECT SUMMARY Youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) experience worse T1D health outcomes (higher glycemic levels, greater psychological distress) compared to adults. Evidence-based pediatric T1D psychosocial care has the potential to improve diabetes distress, high glycemic levels, and family conflict. However, few families are aware of or receive this needed care. This gap is due to limited integration of research into practice (implementation) and insufficient awareness of evidence-based psychosocial care by T1D providers, who are the trusted, preferred source of T1D healthcare information and referrals among families (dissemination). To increase the reach of this care requires both implementation strategies to ensure what is delivered in standard care is evidence-based (focus of the PIs K23DK125666), as well as dissemination strategies to increase T1D provider knowledge and utilization of this care. Dissemination efforts must center viewpoints of T1D providers to effectively tailor strategies to this target audience. The proposed study is the first to develop provider-focused dissemination strategies for evidence-based T1D psychosocial care. Guided by Designing for Dissemination (D4D), the current community-engaged study will be conducted with the PIs existing T1D Provider Partners (REACH Pilot; P20GM144270) who will guide refinement and execution of the proposed research plan from study design through dissemination. Content experts on dissemination science (Becker), mixed methods (Deatrick) and pediatric behavioral intervention in medical setting (Kazak), as well as Nemours and Breakthrough T1D Social Media Specialists will support the execution of this research. Leveraging her benchmarking study on psychosocial staffing and care in pediatric diabetes clinics, Dr. Price will use survey methodologies to gather perspectives from T1D providers (endocrinologists, advanced practice providers) nationally on preferences related to (1) What should be disseminated, (2) By whom, and (3) Where, as well as identify (4) Barriers and (5) Facilitators of accessing and using research findings (Aim 1). Individual interviews with T1D providers will be used to refine quantitative data from Aim 1 and to select and tailor dissemination tools (Aim 2). After viewing newly created dissemination tools and content, T1D providers will complete surveys on the clarity, reach, influence, and trustworthiness of these tools and strategies (Aim 3). This foundational study will result in provider- centered, ready-to-test dissemination strategies, which will bolster an R01 application to conduct a multi-site randomized trial testing dissemination strategy effectiveness on increasing T1D providers’ knowledge and utilization of evidence-based T1D psychosocial care. This research complements Dr. Price’s ongoing research on implementation science (K23 from NIDDK). With her community partnerships and complementary implementation data, the proposed dissemination project will advance her goals to become an independent investigator and improve T1D healthcare and outcomes among youth with T1D.