Successful implementation of virtual care to overcome the challenges of managing gestational diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic: a quality improvement project.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Jim Pattison Diabetes and Pregnancy (JP DAP) clinic quickly switched from in-person to virtual care for patients with gestational diabetes (GDM) to reduce the risk of viral transmission. Poor glycaemic control in pregnancies increases the risk of maternal-fetal complications and thus women with GDM require education, frequent follow-up and treatment to reduce these risks. Delays in care could potentially result in increased maternal-fetal complications. We conducted a prospective, single-centre quality improvement (QI) study of women with GDM who attended the JP DAP clinic and delivered between 1 September 2019 and 31 March 2021. 2123 singleton pregnancies between 1 September 2019 and 31 March 2021 with GDM were analysed for this study. The time of referral to see the endocrinologist was lower than baseline in the first wave but rose significantly in the second wave. No-shows for appointments increased in the first wave but were lower than baseline after the implementation of time slots. There was no special cause variation for maternal-fetal complications pre pandemic, first wave or during the second wave. A patient satisfaction survey reported that 93% of respondents strongly agreed or agreed with the statement 'I was satisfied with the care provided to me over the telephone appointments'. The GDM education package, online educational videos in Hindi and English and the glucometer smartphone application helped to maintain the time of referral to first endocrinologist appointment in the first wave and therefore were considered an effective substitute for in-person education. Despite the delays in care seen in the second wave, there was no increase in maternal-fetal complications. Our clinic plans to continue using virtual tools for the foreseeable future.

Real-World Effectiveness Analysis of Switching From Liraglutide or Dulaglutide to Semaglutide in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: The Retrospective REALISE-DM Study.

INTRODUCTION: Injectable semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) that was previously shown to be superior to liraglutide and dulaglutide in head-to-head comparisons in GLP-1 RA-naïve individuals. It is hypothesized that semaglutide will cause further reductions in glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and weight in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients previously treated with liraglutide or dulaglutide. The REALISE-DM study provides the first real-world evidence of the effectiveness and tolerability of semaglutide in patients switching from another GLP-1 RA. METHODS: This retrospective real-world effectiveness analysis included T2DM adults who were on a stable dose of liraglutide or dulaglutide prior to switching to semaglutide. The primary outcome was change in HbA1c. Secondary outcomes were the changes in weight and body mass index (BMI), the occurrence of gastrointestinal side effects (GSEs), and discontinuations. Linear mixed models were used to estimate changes in HbA1c, weight, and BMI, and logistic regression was employed to analyze GSEs and discontinuations. RESULTS: Six months after the 164 patients in this study had switched to semaglutide, their mean HbA1c had decreased by 0.65% (7.1 mmol/mol) (95% prediction interval [PI]: 0.48, 0.81% [5.2, 8.9 mmol/mol]) from a baseline of 7.9% (interquartile range [IQR]: 7.3, 8.8) (62.8 mmol/mol [IQR: 56.3, 72.7]), while their weight and BMI had reduced by 1.69 kg (95% PI: 1.01, 2.37) and 0.59 kg/m2 (95% PI: 0.34, 0.84), respectively. Nineteen patients (11.6%) developed GSEs after switching. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports switching T2DM patients on liraglutide or dulaglutide to injectable semaglutide to achieve further reductions in HbA1c and weight. Although a small number of GSEs occurred, semaglutide was well tolerated by the majority of the patients.

The Power of Small Conversations: Bridging the Gap Between Diabetes and Pregnancy Planning.

Despite the established importance of preconception counselling among women with pre-existing diabetes, many Canadian women of this demographic continue to report inadequate medical planning of pregnancy. Primarily due to the teratogenic effects of hyperglycemia in the early weeks of pregnancy, minimizing the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes requires a proactive approach toward medical optimization before conception. Primary care providers are well placed to provide preconception counselling to reproductive age women with pre-existing diabetes to alert them to the importance of pregnancy planning. This counselling may not necessarily require dedicated visits but may take the form of simple check-ins and key messages interspaced between other interactions. Herein we discuss the importance and challenges of preconception counselling among women with pre-existing diabetes and provide a pragmatic approach to the delivery of preconception counselling among primary care providers.

The effect of hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia on endothelial function in pregnant patients with type-2 diabetes.

We studied endothelial function (flow mediated vasodilation, FMD) during hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia in pregnant women with type-2 diabetes, in the second and third trimester. We found that hyperglycemia reduces FMD in late pregnancy.