MyChart Tool for Type 1 Diabetes Care

Overseen By Saunya Dover, MSc

Age: < 18

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario

Disqualifiers: Age ≥ 11, Non-English, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests a new tool designed to help families manage type 1 diabetes (T1D) by allowing them to enter health information before clinic visits. The goal is to determine if this tool improves patient care, diabetes control, and clinic efficiency by reducing the time spent on information transfer during visits. Participants will either use this new tool, the MyChart Questionnaire, or receive standard care for comparison. Children under 11 years old with T1D who can communicate in English are suitable candidates for this trial. As an unphased trial, this study offers families the opportunity to contribute to innovative care solutions for T1D management.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that this tool is safe for use in diabetes care?

Research has shown that the MyChart Questionnaire is generally safe and easy for patients to use. One study found that over 5,600 patients and caregivers used a similar online questionnaire without major problems. This indicates that the tool does not cause harm or significant side effects. As a digital tool for entering health information, its risks are much lower than those of medical treatments. The MyChart tool primarily aims to make clinic visits more efficient by collecting information in advance. Available data report no negative effects related to the questionnaire itself. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Unlike traditional treatments for Type 1 Diabetes that focus on insulin management and blood sugar monitoring, the MyChart Questionnaire leverages technology to enhance patient engagement. Researchers are excited about this approach because it integrates a patient-facing electronic health record (EHR) tool, which allows for more personalized and proactive diabetes care. This method could potentially streamline the communication between patients and healthcare providers, leading to more tailored treatment plans and improved health outcomes. By promoting active participation in one’s own care, the questionnaire could revolutionize how patients manage their diabetes daily.

What evidence suggests that the MyChart Questionnaire is effective for improving diabetes care?

Research shows that tools like the MyChart Questionnaire, which participants in this trial may use, can improve diabetes care by allowing patients to enter their health information before clinic visits. Studies have found that patient portals enhance understanding of health information, leading to better diabetes management. One study found that patients using a similar portal felt more involved in their care, which is linked to better health outcomes. Additionally, health educators found it easier to monitor patient progress using these digital tools. Overall, the MyChart Questionnaire is expected to enhance diabetes care efficiency and effectiveness by promoting better communication and understanding between patients and healthcare providers. ^{1 3 6 7 8}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for children under 11 years old with Type 1 Diabetes. They must be fluent in English and able to give consent. It's not open to those followed in Eating Disorder or Child and Youth Protection Clinics, or kids who are 11 or older.

Inclusion Criteria

I have been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.

I am younger than 11 years old.

Exclusion Criteria

Patients unable or unwilling to provide consent and/or assent

I am 11 years old or older.

I am not fluent in English to follow all study procedures.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Participants in the intervention group complete the MyChart questionnaire prior to clinic visits

12 months

Regular clinic visits with pre-visit questionnaire

Control

Participants in the control group receive standard clinical care without the MyChart questionnaire

12 months

Regular clinic visits

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for quality of care and glycemic control outcomes

12 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• MyChart Questionnaire

Trial Overview The study tests a MyChart Questionnaire that lets families enter diabetes-related info into their doctor's records before the clinic visit. The goal is to see if this improves care quality, diabetes control, and clinic efficiency.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: MyChart Questionnaire (Intervention Group) Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants within the intervention group will complete the patient-facing EHR-enabled MyChart® questionnaire.

Group II: Standard Clinical Care (Control Group) Active Control 1 Intervention

Participants within the control group will undergo standard clinical care with no study intervention.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario

Lead Sponsor

Trials

134

Recruited

61,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

The New-Onset Diabetes Educator (NODE) web application significantly improved diabetes knowledge among child/caregiver dyads, with post-intervention scores showing a medium effect size (Δ=0.56) compared to standard education methods.

NODE was found to be user-friendly and feasible, suggesting it could be an effective tool for enhancing diabetes self-management education at the time of diagnosis, potentially leading to better long-term health outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

New-Onset Diabetes Educator to Educate Children and Their Caregivers About Diabetes at the Time of Diagnosis: Usability Study. Bernier, A., Fedele, D., Guo, Y., et al.[2023]

A pilot study involving 35 participants with type 1 diabetes demonstrated that a user-centered eHealth tool for functional insulin therapy (FIT) was well accepted and positively impacted learning outcomes.

The study found strong correlations between users' success in learning tasks and their perceived utility, educational adequacy, and ease of use of the tool, suggesting it effectively supports self-management skills in diabetes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

User-centered approach in the development of an eHealth tool for self-management skills in functional insulin therapy to prevent complications of diabetes. Fezzi, C., Refahi, H., Albuisson, E., et al.[2022]

Citations

1. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-diabetes-mellitus-type-1-3-2023-13e66

MyChart Tool for Type 1 Diabetes Care · Info for Participants Trial Overview The study tests a MyChart Questionnaire that lets families enter diabetes-related info into their doctor's records before the clinic visit. The ...

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8245208/

The My Diabetes Care Patient Portal Intervention: Usability ... My Diabetes Care (MDC) is a novel, multifaceted patient portal intervention designed to help patients better understand their diabetes health data and support ...

3. researchprotocols.org researchprotocols.org/2021/5/e25955/

Evaluation of the My Diabetes Care Patient Portal ... We collect self-reported survey data, including the Patient Activation Measure (R) at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. We will use mixed- ...

4. jmir.org jmir.org/2025/1/e66353/

Patient Experiences and Perspectives When MyChart is ... Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used for data analysis. Results: A total of 5651 patients and caregivers completed the web- ...

5. epicshare.org epicshare.org/share-and-learn/piedmont-virtual-diabetes-education

A Virtual Diabetes Education Platform Expands Access and ... A scoring formula in the MyChart questionnaires automatically evaluates whether responses are correct, so educators can easily observe patients' ...

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11245660/

Effects of a Patient Portal Intervention to Address Diabetes ... The primary outcome measure is the number of diabetes care gaps among 4 selected diabetes mellitus monitoring and preventive services at 12 months. Thus, the ...

7. michiganmedicine.org michiganmedicine.org/health-lab/insurance-churn-hits-adults-type-1-diabetes-hard

Insurance 'Churn' Hits Adults with Type 1 Diabetes Hard A new study links a gap in coverage of 30 or more days to a fivefold increase in hospital stays and emergency visits, and higher blood sugar ...

8. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/org/science/article/pii/S143888712500113X

Patient Experiences and Perspectives When MyChart is ... A total of 5651 patients and caregivers completed the web-based questionnaire and 18 (12 users and 6 nonusers) participated in interviews.