Staff Report

Sansum Diabetes Research Institute (SDRI) announces the creation of a new study, Living with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) during the COVID-19 Pandemic, and is currently accepting research survey participants.

SDRI is seeking to understand the current needs of the population with type 1 diabetes in the United States by means of voluntary, anonymous baseline and follow-up surveys. 

Researchers at SDRI hope to determine the extent to which this pandemic has hindered the type 1 community from access to medical attention, insulin and other diabetes supplies. They say they also want to understand the warranted fears, concerns, worries and experiences of people living with type 1 diabetes, a designated high-risk pre-existing condition, during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“There are a variety of issues that can potentially affect people with type 1 in this unprecedented time,” said Dr. Kristin Castorino, principal investigator at SDRI, who was assisted in creating the survey by SDRI’s staff epidemiologist, Stefany Olague, and research coordinator, Gal Haroush. “We want to better understand the experiences of our type 1 community during the pandemic. If we identify common problems, we are better positioned to craft solutions that are targeted and appropriate.” 

A unique aspect of the survey is that it is designed to be taken more than once, so as people’s experiences change over time, they are able to provide their updated experience.

“It’s a way for us to continue our mission work during the COIVID-19 pandemic,” added Castorino. “People can complete the survey from the safety of their home.”

You will find a link to the survey on the Sansum website: https://www.sansum.org/covid-19-and-t1d-survey/. Anyone with type 1 diabetes, regardless of their age, living anywhere in the United States, is invited to participate in the survey. Parents of children with type 1 can complete the survey on their children’s behalf. 

Visit www.sansum.org for more information about SDRI’s Diabetes Emergency Response Program, which includes frequently updated COVID-19 and diabetes resources.