Retrospective cohort study evaluates long-term diabetes care delivery changes amid COVID-19 disruptions, highlighting implications for management.
Key Points
To evaluate four-year longitudinal changes in diabetes care delivery and metabolic outcomes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Conducted a retrospective cohort study of 2,805 adults with diabetes or prediabetes from March 2018 to February 2022.
Measured outcomes included primary care visits, telemedicine use, screening adherence, medication patterns, and metabolic outcomes.
Analyzed outcomes for COVID-19-positive subgroup separately.
Primary care visits and telemedicine encounters increased significantly during the pandemic.
Glycemic control was stable with mean HbA1c at 6.9% pre-pandemic and 7.0% during the pandemic (p=0.343).
Increased prescribing of SGLT2 inhibitors, GLP-1 receptor agonists, and insulin therapies was observed without significant changes in the COVID-19-positive subgroup.