Patients with diabetes achieve ‘same positive results’ from PCPs and telehealth as they would from specialists

A study published Monday in Clinical Diabetes found that patients with Type 1 diabetes can achieve significant glycemic improvements when using automated insulin delivery (AID) technology — namely the iLet Bionic Pancreas system — even when trained by primary care providers (PCPs) or via telehealth, instead of in-person specialists.

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Massachusetts General Hospital conducted a randomized crossover trial involving 40 adults with Type 1 diabetes. Participants received training and device initiation either in-person or remotely via telehealth, and either in primary care or endocrinology settings.

The results were clear: 97% of participants achieved healthy blood sugar levels (average glucose (AG) below 183 mg/dL), and 64% achieved even better targets (AG below 154 mg/dL). The study found that training through telehealth or primary care settings was just as effective as in-person training by specialists.

“This demonstrates that AID technology like iLet can be used effectively by PCPs and through telehealth, making this life-saving technology available to more patients — no matter where they live,” said Sean Oser, MD, MPH, associate professor of family medicine from the University of Colorado School of Medicine and lead author of the study.

With 75.3% of U.S. counties lacking a single endocrinologist and 96% having at least one PCP, the findings suggest a significant opportunity to expand access to diabetes care.

“The latest study proves that, with the right training, primary care providers can deliver the same high-quality care using advanced technology without the need for specialized clinics or expensive travel,” Oser said. “By embracing telehealth, this technology can reach even more patients who face barriers to care.”

Although the study only lasted two weeks, researchers have since received approval for a 12-week follow-up study that will include both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes patients. If longer-term data confirms these results, PCPs could play an increasingly central role in diabetes management and diabetes technology deployment.