This clinical trial aims to evaluate whether a structured medical education strategy can improve the quality of care provided to hospitalized patients with diabetes or hyperglycemia. Internal medicine residents from four university hospitals in southern Brazil are assigned to two groups: an intervention group receiving a 30-minute online lecture and 30 days of educational follow-up via WhatsApp®, and a control group receiving no additional training. The primary goal is to assess changes in physicians' knowledge about inpatient glycemic control. Secondary goals include evaluating the quality of insulin prescriptions, rates of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia, and hospital length of stay.
Hospital hyperglycemia is associated with increased morbidity, length of stay, and hospital costs, especially when not properly managed. Many internal medicine teams lack adequate training on glycemic control in hospitalized patients, and guidelines are not consistently followed in clinical practice. This multicenter, randomized, open-label trial is designed to evaluate whether a telemedicine-based educational intervention can improve medical knowledge and clinical management of inpatient hyperglycemia. Internal medicine residents from four university hospitals in southern Brazil are randomized by clinical team into two groups: one receives a 30-minute online class and continued support via WhatsApp® for 30 days; the control group receives no intervention. Medical knowledge is assessed using a validated questionnaire before and after the intervention. Secondary outcomes include the appropriateness of glycemic monitoring and insulin prescriptions, frequency of hyper- and hypoglycemia and hospital length of stay.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
50
A structured educational program delivered remotely through WhatsApp®, including a 30-minute online lecture and daily dissemination of educational content (videos, texts, and practical guidance) on hospital hyperglycemia and glycemic management strategies.
Catholic University of Pelotas
Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Improvement in medical knowledge regarding inpatient hyperglycemia
Medical knowledge will be assessed using a structured and validated questionnaire on hospital hyperglycemia and diabetes, administered before and 30 days after the intervention. The questionnaire includes multiple-choice clinical case scenarios related to glycemic monitoring, insulin use, treatment errors, and glycemic targets.
Time frame: Baseline and 30 days post-intervention
Occurrence of hyperglycemia
Percentage of capillary glucose (CG) readings \>180 mg/dL during the last 5 days of hospitalization.
Time frame: Last 5 days of hospitalization during the 30-day intervention period
Quality of insulin prescription
Proportion of prescriptions that include appropriate insulin regimens (e.g., basal or basal-bolus) versus sliding-scale insulin alone.
Time frame: Last 5 days of hospitalization during the 30-day intervention period
Occurrence of hypoglycemia
Percentage of CG readings \<70 mg/dL during the last 5 days of hospitalization.
Time frame: Last 5 days of hospitalization during the 30-day intervention period
Time in glycemic target range
Percentage of CG readings within the 70-180 mg/dL range during the last 5 days of hospitalization.
Time frame: Last 5 days of hospitalization during the 30-day intervention period
Glycated hemoglobin ordered at hospital admission
Proportion of patients for whom glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was ordered at admission.
Time frame: During the 30-day intervention period
Length of hospital stay
Duration in days from hospital admission to discharge.
Time frame: During the 30-day intervention period
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.