BSPED2018 Poster Presentations Diabetes (40 abstracts)
A survey of the use of medical identification in children and young people with diabetes at a large children’s hospital
Jessica Yorke 1 , Lesley Drummond 1 , Louise Collins 1 , Donna Sands 1 , Ruth Krone 1 , Vrinda Saraff 1 , Renuka Dias 1 , Timothy Barrett 1, & Melanie Kershaw 1
1Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Birmingham, UK; 2University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Objectives: Children and young people (CYP) with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) are at risk of acute clinical emergencies. Wearing medical identification (ID) is recommended by the National Institute for Clinical excellence (NICE). Information on adherence to this recommendation in CYP with T1DM is scarce. This study aimed to assess parent and CYP’s knowledge of the recommendation, to explore adherence and barriers to carrying ID and understand preferred forms of ID.
Methods: This was a prospective, cross-sectional questionnaire survey of CYP aged 10–19 years with T1DM of more than 6 weeks, and carers, conducted at diabetes clinics in a large diabetes centre between 6- 31/3/2018.
Results: Questionnaires were completed by 47/47 CYP (mean age 14.1 years), and 38/39 carers, accounting for 19% of registered 10–19 year olds. Medical ID was owned by 29/47 CYP(61.7%) and 81%(13/16) of 16–18 year olds with no significant gender differences. 25/33 (75%) of young persons recalled having advice on ID, in contrast to 17/38 (45%) of carers. Diabetes ID cards (44%), given free to CYP on diagnosis by the clinic, and ID wristbands (34.5%) were the most frequent forms of ID owned. Although 8/29 (27%) CYP reported carrying ID daily, only 7/29 (24%) wore it on the day they attended. 20/44 (45%) CYP and 13/30 (43%) carers identified forgetting ID was the greatest barrier to carrying ID. 20/30 (60%) carers thought appearance was a barrier in contrast to 8/44 (18%) of YP. For 10/32 (31%) YP, in contrast to 6/45 (13%) carers, ‘feeling safe’ was a factor in wearing ID.
Conclusion: Up to 40% of CYP do not possess medical ID and up to 85% of CYP are potentially at risk if experiencing a diabetes emergency away from their main carers. Professionals have a role in awareness of ID amongst CYP and carers by checking this at every clinic. Making ID cards available at every clinic, in addition to providing at diagnosis, may prove beneficial.
Article tools
My recent searches
My recently viewed abstracts
Authors
Endocrine Abstracts
ISSN 1470-3947 (print) | ISSN 1479-6848 (online)
© Bioscientifica 2024 |
Privacy policy |
Cookie settings
BiosciAbstracts
Bioscientifica Abstracts is the gateway to a series of products that provide a permanent, citable record of abstracts for biomedical and life science conferences.
Find out more