Routine hospital admission versus out-patient or home care in children at diagnosis of type 1 diabetes mellitus

Background In many places, children newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus are admitted to hospital for metabolic stabilisation and training, even if they are not acutely ill. Out-patient or home based management of these children could avoid the stress associated with a hospital stay, could provide a more natural learning environment for the child and its family, and might reduce costs for both the health care system and the families. Objectives To assess the effects of routine hospital admission compared to out-patient or home-based management in children newly diagnosed with type I diabetes mellitus. Search strategy We searched The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and the British Nursing Index. Additionally, we searched reference lists of relevant studies identified and contacted one of the trialists about further studies. Selection criteria Comparative studies of initial hospitalisation compared to home-based and/or out-patient management in children with newly diagnosed type I diabetes. Data collection and analysis Studies were independently selected by two reviewers. Data extraction and quality assessment of trials were done independently by two reviewers. Authors of included studies were contacted for missing information. Results were summarised descriptively, using tables and text. Main results Seven studies were included in the review, including a total of 298 children in the out-patient/home group. The one high quality trial identified suggested that home-based management of children with newly diagnosed type I diabetes may lead to slightly improved long term metabolic control (at two and three years follow-up). No differences between comparison groups were found in any of the psychosocial and behavioural variables assessed or in rates of acute diabetic complications within two years. Parental costs were found to be decreased, while health system costs were increased, leaving total social costs virtually unchanged. None of the other studies assessing metabolic control found a difference between the comparison groups. There seemed to be no differences in hospitalisations or acute diabetic complications between the out-patient/home groups and the hospital groups. Authors' conclusions Due to the generally low quality or limited applicability of the studies identified, the results of this review are inconclusive. On the whole, the data seem to suggest that where adequate out-patient/home management of type I diabetes in children at diagnosis can be provided, this does not lead to any disadvantages in terms of metabolic control, acute diabetic complications and hospitalisations, psychosocial variables and behaviour, or total costs.