Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: The T-Coach® telephone support program for patients with type 2 diabetes (DM2) treated with insulin glargine 300 u/ml, facilitates dose adjustments of basal insulin therapy through regular telephone consultations and offers diabetes education in order to improve empowerment of the patient. Objective: To assess the usefulness of the T-Coach® program in metabolic control and degree of satisfaction in patients with T2DM.

Patients and methods: Observational, descriptive, retrospective, multicenter study, including patients with type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) included in the T-coach® program from October 2016 to December 2020, attended in Endocrinology in the province of Cádiz. Demographic data, baseline clinical and laboratory parameters, 3 and 6 months after inclusion in the program are analyzed. The degree of patient satisfaction and evolution of the level of knowledge with the use of the platform are evaluated.

Results: 286 patients are included, 50.2% (n=143) women, age 66.05±11.62 years and T2DM evolution time 15.4±8.2 years. 45.4% (n=71) had microangiopathy and 24.5% (n=70) macroangiopathy. 19% started long-acting insulin. Average of 7.2 calls per patient. At baseline long-acting insulin dose was 25.5±16,34 U/day after 6 months 36.2±19,26 U/day. At baseline Fasting plasma glucose 188.5±76,45 mg/dl after 6 months 119 mg/ (P<0.001). The initial mean HbA1c was 9±1,42 % and at 6 months 7.30±1,38 % (P<0.001). The level of knowledge raises from 5.2/8 to 7.7/8 points at 3 months. The degree of patient satisfaction was high, with scores above 9/10 in most of the items evaluated.

Conclsions: In our setting, the T-Coach® program is shown to be a useful tool for adjusting the dose of long-acting insulin, with the consequent improvement in glycemic control in these patients. The degree of patient satisfaction with the support for insulin dose adjustment is high and the level of knowledge improves with telephone reinforcement of diabetes education.