A study to evaluate the best ways of screening and monitoring for type 1 diabetes in children is calling for practice nurses to take part.
The ELSA (Early Surveillance for Autoimmune diabetes) study aims to explore parents’, carers’ and children’s views on screening for type 1 diabetes, and then to go on to develop a testing and monitoring programme, initially for children in the West Midlands.
It is hoped that this will identify children aged 3–13 at high risk of developing type 1 diabetes. The families of such children will then receive education about the signs of the disease and what to expect. High risk children will also be entered into a monitoring programme to provide regular check-ups.
Researchers say: ‘By finding children at high risk of getting type 1 diabetes in the future, we can monitor them closely. These children could also choose to go into studies testing new treatments to delay the start of type 1 diabetes.’
Dr Lauren Quinn, a clinical research fellow at the University of Birmingham, contacted us to invite practice nurses to take part in a stakeholder interview ‘to understand perspectives on screening for type 1 diabetes and the feasibility of offering this in primary care.’
The interviews will take place at a convenient time online or by phone and last up to an hour.
If you would like to take part, complete the REDCap online form at https://itm-redcap.bham.ac.uk/surveys/?s=TPDMFE9PC8. You can find out more about the study at https://elsadiabetes.nhs.uk/
