Diabetes Learning in Virtual Environments Just in Time for Community Reentry
NCT ID: NCT05286892
Last Updated: 2025-07-28
Study Results
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Basic Information
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RECRUITING
NA
128 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2023-04-30
2026-12-15
Brief Summary
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Detailed Description
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There have been efforts to examine the effect of engaging incarcerated persons in blood glucose monitoring on glycemic control. Still, those released from incarceration have not benefitted from the decades of research that have resulted in improved outcomes. As a first step to filling this gap, the research team developed a literacy-tailored 6-week theory-based DSS intervention. The research team tested the feasibility and acceptability of the DSS intervention in incarcerated men between 6 to 9 months of transitioning from state prisons to supervised community housing or parole. The Principal Investigator found improvements in diabetes knowledge and diabetes-related distress in both groups and outcome expectancy with the treatment group. Analysis of focus group data revealed acceptance of the literacy-tailored DSS education, a need for skill-based videos, and ongoing support upon release. After an analysis of the research team's retention rate and feasibility data, the research team identified the haphazard process of releasing individuals to supervised community housing as a significant contributor to retention for the research team's in-person pre-release DSS intervention.
Consequently, the primary investigator recognized a critical need to make the literacy-tailored DSS and ongoing DSMES widely accessible to returning citizens with diabetes after release to supervised housing via synchronous and asynchronous remote options. Based on the evidence that virtual environments (VE) may lead to superior learning and experience for the participants and can promote social and educational interaction via repetition, practice, feedback, and application,24,25 the research team aims to leverage the research team's collective experience with diabetes Learning in Virtual Environments (LIVE) a diabetes educator-led, DSMES in a VE26-28 to develop the Diabetes LIVE JustICE (Just In time for Community reentry) intervention using an iterative participant engaged process. Because persons living in supervised community housing do not have access to reliable private computers but do have access to mobile devices, the research team will develop Diabetes LIVE JustICE as a mobile application. The Principal Investigator's goal is to recruit a sample of vulnerable incarcerated persons with multimorbidity, including diabetes on the transition to supervised community living to develop and test the feasibility and acceptability of a multi-user virtual diabetes community (Diabetes LIVE JustICE). This platform allows users to talk to each other in real-time and participate in instructor-led education sessions and facilitated support sessions accessed through IOS/Android mobile devices. The specific aims of this study are to:
1. Examine feasibility and acceptability of the Diabetes LIVE JustICE application by tracking the following outcomes: recruitment rate, participation rates (number of log-ins, time spent in mobile application, retention) engagement (materials accessed), and the user experience (usability, usefulness, satisfaction, and attitudes toward use of Diabetes LIVE JustICE).
2. Examine the preliminary short-term effects of Diabetes LIVE JustICE compared to usual pre-release diabetes care supplemented with low literacy diabetes education materials on the following outcomes: A1C, diabetes knowledge, diabetes self-care, diabetes-related emotional distress, social support, and perceived competence.
Conditions
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Study Design
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RANDOMIZED
PARALLEL
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
NONE
Study Groups
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Control
Participants randomized to the control group will receive enhanced pre-release diabetes education with registered or licensed practical nurse-delivered diabetes education about medications and insulin administration supplemented with the literacy tailored diabetes education packets used in the principal investigator's prior research.
Enhanced Education
See control group description above
Intervention
Because eight avatars plus the educator avatar are allowed in the VE classroom at one time, we will cap enrollment for the feasibility study to allow for CHW and CDE training and the opportunity to work together during LIVE JustICE sessions. The DSMES will consist of six synchronous 1-hour education sessions and an hour support session for participants living in supervised community housing in the experimental group. We will run the six-week series sequentially a total of eleven times over 18 months. LIVE JustICE sessions will be held conveniently for participants, and days/times rotated if needed.
Diabetes LIVE JustICE
Diabetes LIVE JustICE will be an adaptation of the current Diabetes LIVE persistent multi-user online virtual environment built on the Unreal Engine (Epic Games, Inc., Cary, NC) that allows users to talk to each other in real-time and participate in instructor-led synchronous sessions. Users can access the virtual environment through IOS/Android devices. Instructors can show learning material such as Google Docs and PowerPoint. The LIVE JustICE community will contain a community center, a tranquility center, and a message board. This will be an interactive community where participants will communicate in real-time on their mobile device or, if preferred, using their computer via text or audio chat. Access to LIVE will allow participants to utilize resources and links in the application, leave a message on the message board for the diabetes educators, or engage with other participants. Research team members will add and trial gaming activities to the VE during this feasibility study.
Interventions
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Diabetes LIVE JustICE
Diabetes LIVE JustICE will be an adaptation of the current Diabetes LIVE persistent multi-user online virtual environment built on the Unreal Engine (Epic Games, Inc., Cary, NC) that allows users to talk to each other in real-time and participate in instructor-led synchronous sessions. Users can access the virtual environment through IOS/Android devices. Instructors can show learning material such as Google Docs and PowerPoint. The LIVE JustICE community will contain a community center, a tranquility center, and a message board. This will be an interactive community where participants will communicate in real-time on their mobile device or, if preferred, using their computer via text or audio chat. Access to LIVE will allow participants to utilize resources and links in the application, leave a message on the message board for the diabetes educators, or engage with other participants. Research team members will add and trial gaming activities to the VE during this feasibility study.
Enhanced Education
See control group description above
Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
1. have Type 1 or 2 diabetes
2. are age 18 and older
3. can speak and understand English
4. have been released directly from one of five Connecticut prisons to supervised community housing or parole
18 Years
ALL
No
Sponsors
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American Diabetes Association
OTHER
Louise Reagan
OTHER
Responsible Party
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Louise Reagan
Assistant Professor
Principal Investigators
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Lousie Reagan, PhD
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
University of Connecticut
Locations
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University of Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut, United States
University of Connecticut
Storrs Mansfield, Connecticut, United States
Countries
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Central Contacts
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Facility Contacts
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References
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Other Identifiers
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H21-0144
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id
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