What started as a VCAG project continued with a transition to virtual care during COVID. Now, “Inpatient Transition to Virtual Care During COVID-19 Pandemic” is one of the top 10 downloaded papers for 2020 and 2021.
The UNC Inpatient Diabetes Co-Management Service started as a VCAG project in 2019, to improve glycemic control for hospitalized patients. It continued with a transition to virtual care in March 2020, led by Morgan Jones, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the division of endocrinology and metabolism.
When COVID hit, automatic consults for COVID-19 patients were quickly implemented, driven by the need to reduce the use of personal protective equipment and exposure for patients and providers alike. Studies showed that care in both the inpatient and outpatient setting transformed considerably. Jones discussed the novel transition to virtual diabetes management in a paper published by Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics (DTT). The paper was recently recognized as one of the top 10 downloaded papers for 2020 and 2021, currently featured on the journal’s landing page.
Authors also included April L. Goley, Bonnie E. Alexander, Scott B. Keller, Marie M. Caldwell, MD, and John B. Buse, MD, PhD.
“Congratulations to all for the exceptional creativity in dealing with the challenges of the time, with particular thanks to Morgan Jones, for taking the lead on this at the height of the first phase of the pandemic,” said John Buse, MD, PhD, chief of the division of endocrinology and metabolism.
Glycemic outcomes from before and after transition to virtual care were evaluated. Data over a 15-week period suggested that using virtual care for diabetes management in the hospital is a feasible care approach and can provide similar outcomes to traditional face-to-face care.
Since then, the team has recognized endless possibilities for expansion throughout the UNC Health System.
DTT is the only peer-reviewed journal covering all aspects of diagnosing and managing diabetes with cutting-edge devices, drugs, drug delivery systems, and software.
Read more about the published article.
Learn how the VCAG project started.