Technology Knowledge Optimization for Type 1 Diabetes in Schools

The goal of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a school nurse focused e-Learning application to improve their diabetes device knowledge and confidence. School nurses will be asked to complete pre-/post-surveys around a 16-week curriculum.

The standard of care for pediatric type 1 diabetes (T1D) is the use of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and automated insulin delivery (AID) systems to optimize glycemia. These diabetes technologies hold the potential to decrease the risk of acute and long-term complications. Yet, the rapid developments over the last decade have posed challenges for youth, caregivers, and healthcare professionals who must learn to use these devices. Use of these devices requires significant user interaction and remains labor-intensive, leading to variability in glycemic outcomes. Schools offer a unique opportunity to support these vulnerable populations. Youth with T1D spend nearly one third of their weekdays in school under the care of school nurses. School nurses have expressed a critical gap in their knowledge of T1D devices, which can negatively affect parent and student school experiences. To date, little to no research has explored interventions to support school nurses with T1D devices. Structured education may directly impact school nurse CGM and AID knowledge and confidence and student outcomes. e-Learning, defined as the delivery of education through digital resources, allows for flexible, asynchronous learning at a self-determined pace. App-based CGM and AID education stimulates active, problem-centered learning that improves the knowledge and confidence of endocrinology trainees. This study will adapt an existing diabetes technology e-Learning tool to meet the needs of school nurses. In earlier phases focus groups and user-centered design methods are used to adapt the TeKnO T1D curriculum. The TeKnO T1D: School app content will be pilot tested with school nurses in Pennsylvania to assess feasibility. The curriculum will be delivered to 36 school nurses over 16 weeks according to principles of spaced learning, which has been shown to optimize knowledge retention. Simultaneously, methods to collect health and school outcomes from the students of participating school nurses will be explored.