Optimal staffing for a good quality inpatient diabetes service

INTRODUCTION

Increasing numbers of people admitted to hospital have diabetes and need specialist support. To date, there is no mechanism which can help teams estimate the number of health care professionals they need to provide optimal care for people with diabetes in hospitals.

METHODS

The Joint British Diabetes Societies (JBDS) for Inpatient Care Group organised a survey of specialist inpatient diabetes teams in the UK for current staffing and the perception of optimal staffing using mailing lists available through their representative organisations. The results were verified and confirmed by one-to-one conversations with individual respondents and discussed in multiple expert-group meetings to agree on the results.

RESULTS

Responses were received from 17 Trusts covering 30 hospital sites. Current diabetes specialist staffing level per 100 people with diabetes in hospital (Median, IQR) for consultants was 0.24 (0.22-0.37), diabetes inpatient specialist nurses was 1.94 (1.22-2.6), dieticians was 0.00 (0.00-0.00), podiatrists was 0.19 (0.00-0.62), pharmacists was 0.00 (0.00-0.37), psychologists was 0.00 (0.00-0.00). The teams also reported that for optimal care the total staff needed for each group (Median, IQR) was much higher; consultants 0.65 (0.50-0.88), specialist nurses 3.38 (2.78-4.59), dieticians 0.48 (0.33-0.72), podiatrists, 0.93 (0.65-1.24), pharmacists, 0.65 (0.40-0.79) and psychologists 0.33 (0.27-0.58). Based on the results of the survey, the JBDS expert group produced an Excel calculator to estimate staffing needs of any hospital site in question just by populating a few of the cells.

CONCLUSION

Current inpatient diabetes staffing is much lower than needed in most Trusts who responded to the survey. The JBDS calculator can provide an estimate of the staffing needs of any hospital.

Enhancing diabetes care for the most vulnerable in the 21st century: Interim findings of the National Advisory Panel on Care Home Diabetes (NAPCHD)

Older adults with diabetes may carry a substantial health burden in Western ageing societies, occupy more than one in four beds in care homes, and are a highly vulnerable group who often require complex nursing and medical care. The global pandemic (COVID-19) had its epicentre in care homes and revealed many shortfalls in diabetes care resulting in hospital admissions and considerable mortality and comorbid illness. The purpose of this work was to develop a national Strategic Document of Diabetes Care for Care Homes which would bring about worthwhile, sustainable and effective quality diabetes care improvements, and address the shortfalls in care provided. A large diverse and multidisciplinary group of stakeholders (NAPCHD) defined 11 areas of interest where recommendations were needed and using a subgroup allocation approach were set tasks to produce a set of primary recommendations. Each subgroup was given 5 starter questions to begin their work and a format to provide responses. During the initial phase, 16 key findings were identified. Overall, after a period of 18 months, 49 primary recommendations were made, and 7 major conclusions were drawn from these. A model of community and integrated diabetes care for care home residents with diabetes was proposed, and a series of 5 'quick-wins' were created to begin implementation of some of the recommendations that would not require significant funding. The work of the NAPCHD is ongoing but we hope that this current resource will help leaders to make these required changes happen.

Joint British Diabetes Societies for Inpatient Care (JBDS-IP) Clinical Guideline Inpatient care of the frail older adult with diabetes: an Executive Summary

We present an Executive Summary of a guideline produced by a Joint British Diabetes Societies for Inpatient Care Writing Group for managing frail older inpatients with diabetes. This represents a multidisciplinary stakeholder consensus document providing more than 100 recommendations in eight areas: functional assessment and detection of frailty; preventative care: assessing risk factors and avoiding hospital admissions; general inpatient management principles; managing therapy choices for the frail older inpatient with diabetes; managing associated comorbidities and concerns; pre-operative assessment and care; discharge planning and principles of follow-up; and end of life care. The document is intended to guide effective clinical decision-making in an inpatient setting and is supported by four appendices: Appendix 1, STOPPFRAIL criteria; Appendix 2, Acute care toolkit 3-Royal College of Physicians; Appendix 3, a description of physical performance and frailty measures for routine NHS application; and Appendix 4, Inpatient Frailty Care Pathway-template. This document is expected to enhance clinical outcomes and overall health status for this vulnerable inpatient population of older people with diabetes. The full version of the guideline, including the appendices, can be found at https://abcd.care/sites/abcd.care/files/resources/Inpatient_Care_of_the_Frail_Older_Adult.pdf.

Managing hyperglycaemia during antenatal steroid administration, labour and birth in pregnant women with diabetes

Optimal glycaemic control before and during pregnancy improves both maternal and fetal outcomes. This article summarizes the recently published guidelines on the management of glycaemic control in pregnant women with diabetes on obstetric wards and delivery units produced by the Joint British Diabetes Societies for Inpatient Care and available in full at www.diabetes.org.uk/joint-british-diabetes-society and https://abcd.care/joint-british-diabetes-societies-jbds-inpatient-care-group. Hyperglycaemia following steroid administration can be managed by variable rate intravenous insulin infusion (VRIII) or continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) in women who are willing and able to safely self-manage insulin dose adjustment. All women with diabetes should have capillary blood glucose (CBG) measured hourly once they are in established labour. Those who are found to be higher than 7 mmol/l on two consecutive occasions should be started on VRIII. If general anaesthesia is used, CBG should be monitored every 30 min in the theatre. Both the VRIII and CSII rate should be reduced by at least 50% once the placenta is delivered. The insulin dose needed after delivery in insulin-treated Type 2 and Type 1 diabetes is usually 25% less than the doses needed at the end of first trimester. Additional snacks may be needed after delivery especially if breastfeeding. Stop all anti-diabetes medications after delivery in gestational diabetes. Continue to monitor CBG before and 1 h after meals for up to 24 h after delivery to pick up any pre-existing diabetes or new-onset diabetes in pregnancy. Women with Type 2 diabetes on oral treatment can continue to take metformin after birth.

An exploratory study of the effect of using high-mix biphasic insulin aspart in people with type 2 diabetes

OBJECTIVE

To compare blood glucose control when using biphasic insulin aspart (BIAsp) three times a day (using 70/30 high-mix before breakfast and lunch), with biphasic human insulin (BHI, 30/70) twice daily in adults with type 2 diabetes already treated with insulin.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

In a 60-day, open-label, crossover study, people with insulin-treated type 2 diabetes [n = 38, baseline haemoglobin A1c 8.3 +/- 0.9 (s.d.) %] were randomized to BIAsp three times a day before meals, as BIAsp 70 (70% insulin aspart and 30% protamine-complexed insulin aspart) before breakfast and lunch and BIAsp 30 (30/70 free and protamine-complexed insulin aspart) before dinner, or to human premix insulin (BHI) 30/70 twice a day before meals. A 24-h in-patient plasma glucose profile was performed at the end of each 30-day treatment period. The total daily insulin dose of BIAsp regimen was 110% of BHI and the doses were not changed during the study.

RESULTS

There was no difference between BIAsp and BHI in geometric weighted average serum glucose over 24 h [7.3 vs. 7.7 mmol/l, BIAsp/BHI ratio 0.95 (95% CI 0.88-1.02), not significant (NS)], but daytime geometric weighted average glucose concentration was significantly lower with the BIAsp regimen than with BHI [8.3 vs. 9.2 mmol/l, BIAsp/BHI ratio 0.90 (0.84-0.98), p = 0.014]. The mealtime serum glucose excursion was also lower with BIAsp than with BHI with statistically significant differences at lunchtime [difference -4.9 (-7.0 to -2.7) mmol/l, p = 0.000); the difference in glucose excursions above 7.0 mmol/l was also significant [-5.8 (-8.3 to -3.2) mmol/l, p = 0.000). The proportion of participants experiencing confirmed hypoglycaemic episodes was similar between regimens (42 vs. 43%, NS).

CONCLUSIONS

An insulin regimen using high-mix BIAsp (BIAsp 70) before breakfast and lunch and BIAsp 30 before dinner can achieve lower blood glucose levels during the day through reduced mealtime glucose excursions in particular at lunchtime than a twice-daily premix regimen.

Improved glycaemic control with insulin glargine plus insulin lispro: a multicentre, randomized, cross-over trial in people with Type 1 diabetes

AIMS

To compare blood glucose control using insulin glargine + insulin lispro with that on NPH insulin + unmodified human insulin in adults with Type 1 diabetes managed with a multiple injection regimen.

METHODS

In this 32-week, five-centre, two-way cross-over study, people with Type 1 diabetes (n = 56, baseline HbA1c 8.0 +/- 0.8%) were randomized to evening insulin glargine + mealtime insulin lispro or to NPH insulin (once- or twice-daily) + mealtime unmodified human insulin. Each 16-week period concluded with a 24-h inpatient plasma glucose profile.

RESULTS

HbA1c was lower with glargine + lispro than with NPH + human insulin [7.5 vs. 8.0%, difference -0.5 (95% CI -0.7, -0.3) %, P < 0.001]. This was confirmed by an 8% lower 24-h plasma glucose area under the curve (AUC) (187 vs. 203 mmol l(-1) h(-1), P = 0.037), a 24% reduction in plasma glucose AUC > 7.0 mmol/l1 (47 vs. 62 mmol l(-1) h(-1), P = 0.017) and a 15% lower post-prandial plasma glucose AUC (75 vs. 88 mmol l(-1) h(-1), P = 0.002). There was no reduction in night-time plasma glucose AUC or increase in plasma glucose area < 3.5 mmol/l. Monthly rate of nocturnal hypoglycaemia was reduced by 44% with glargine + lispro (0.66 vs. 1.18 episodes/month, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with NPH insulin + unmodified human insulin, the combination of insulin glargine with a rapid-acting insulin analogue as multiple-injection therapy for Type 1 diabetes improves overall glycaemic control as assessed by HbA1c and 24-h plasma glucose monitoring to a clinically significant degree, together with a reduction in nocturnal hypoglycaemia.