Greater use of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and rapid uptake of telemedicine may have ameliorated the impact of COVID-19 on patients with type 1 diabetes, according to findings published in BMC Pediatrics. Abha Choudhary, MD, and colleagues examined patient and clinical characteristics of approximately 1,600 patients in 1-year periods before (2019 group) and after (2020 group) the rollout of COVID-19-related restrictions. A generalized linear model showed that increasing age, non-commercial insurance, Black and Hispanic race/ethnicity, and non utilization of CGMs were all associated with higher A1C. “Time in range” for CGM users was lower with non commercial insurance and in Black and Hispanic patients, though that improved slightly during 2019-2020, and use of CGMs by patients with non-commercial insurance increased significantly. In 2020, patients with commercial insurance had fewer office visits, but insurance status did not impact use of the virtual platform. There was no change in hospitalizations during 2019- 2020 in either commercially or non-commercially insured patients, but patients with non-commercial insurance were hospitalized at much higher frequencies during both years.
