The SUPPORT-Pro Online Platform for Healthcare Professionals Treating Individuals Living With T1D

The SUPPORT-Pro Online Platform: Helping Healthcare Professionals to Increase Their Confidence Levels in Treating Individuals Living With T1D

Health care professionals (HCPs) help an support patients living with type 1 diabetes (PWT1D) who need to achieve optimal blood glucose control in order to prevent short and long term complications of T1D. However, studies show that not all HCPs are aware of T1D management as most of them only see PWT1D occasionally. This makes it difficult for HCPs to remain aware of the particularities of the condition and stay up-to-date on rapidly evolving technologies and therapies available. Moreover, low confidence levels and the inaccessibility to continuing medical education on the specificities of new therapies and technologies might increase the failure of HCPs to propose the optimal treatment plan to their PWT1D.

The SUPPORT online platform, that was first developed for PWT1D, was adjusted to suit the needs of HCPs (SUPPORT-Pro). The regularly updated bilingual (English and French) peer-reviewed content of SUPPORT, which covers the various elements that an individual with T1D needs to know to manage the disease and aims at making a better use of technologies and new therapies, is the first in its kind and is highly relevant for HCPs.

The main objective of this study is to determine if the SUPPORT-Pro online training platform can increase HCPs' (dietitians, nurses, pharmacists, medical doctors) confidence level in treating individuals with T1D. This study is a non-randomized pre-post trial. We hypothesize that the training provided through the SUPPORT-Pro online platform will significantly increase HCPs' confidence level in treating individuals with T1D after 3 months when compared to their confidence level before the intervention.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Certified Health Care Professional (nurse, physician (including resident in medicine), dietitian, pharmacist) who is member of a regulatory body in Canada
2. Self-reported working with at least 1 patient with type 1 diabetes in the last six months
3. Has access to the Internet
4. Use of an active email address
5. Comprehension of English or French

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Certified diabetes educators
2. Working in a T1D specialized clinic
3. Living with T1D
4. Currently living with someone with T1D (e.g. kid, partner, etc.)
5. Working in the pharmaceutical industry