Challenges of routine diabetes care during COVID-19 era: A systematic search and narrative review

Abstract

Background The world is facing the current COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic response is affecting routine health care provision all over the world. We aimed to review the relevant literature and highlight challenges in the provision of routine care for patients with diabetes during the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods We systematically searched PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Embase databases up till August 13, 2020 and retrieved relevant articles published on difficulties on routine diabetes management during the Covid-19 pandemic. Results Through our reading of the recent literature discussing the difficulties of routine healthcare provision for patients with diabetes amid the covid-19 pandemic, we have identified nine themes as follows: lockdown of standard outpatient clinics, decreased inpatient capacity, staff shortage, medicine shortage, unaffordable medicine, delayed care seeking, limited self-care practice, transport difficulties, and undiagnosed cases/events. Conclusion Diabetes management during lockdown is particularly challenging. This review specified a summary of difficulties of diabetes care during covid-19 pandemic. Healthcare policy makers as well as healthcare providers could take advantage of the results of this review to mitigate the adverse effect of the crisis on provision of routine care for diabetes as well as other chronic conditions.

Behavioral, psychological, and clinical outcomes of Arabic-speaking people with type 2 diabetes during COVID-19 pandemic

“…The broader living context for people with diabetes in the UAE, and unlike other countries, might have facilitated self-management including lack of disruption in the pharmaceutical supply chain, no difficulties in procurement of diabetes medications, no restriction in food supplies, initiatives to support patients such as the delivery of prescribed medicines to people’s homes, and the availability of telemedicine [13] , [29] . As expected and in line with similar studies in other countries, adherence to exercise was the lowest during the pandemic that mandated lockdowns and closure of sport facilities [23] , [26] , [30] .…”

“…Our study provided broad insight into the everyday management and challenges of diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic among Arabic-speaking people with type 2 diabetes in the UAE. Although the pandemic has adversely affected the well-being of many people with diabetes worldwide [9] , [10] , [23] , [24] , [25] , [26] , participants in this study did not report high diabetes-related distress nor did they experience worsening glycemic control. We postulate that intensification of therapy could have masked a potential worsening in glycemic control.…”

Diabetes as a predictive factor for severe form and high mortality risk of COVID-19: Retrospective cohort study of 188 cases

“…COVID-19 is a global health crisis, challenging the preparedness of health systems’ all over the world as well as the ability to cope with and sustain a pandemic response [ 3 ]. It has been clinically observed that diabetes was associated with an increased risk of developing severe forms of COVID-19 such as ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome) and increased mortality risk.…”

“…This chronic condition increases the risk of disabling and life-threatening complications from micro- and macro-vascular diseases [ 3 ]. Which is important to understand the special aspects of COVID-19 infection in people with this underlying comorbidity [ 4 ].…”

Establishing and evaluating physician-pharmacist collaborative clinics to manage patients with type 2 diabetes in primary hospitals in Hunan province: study protocol of a multi-site randomized controlled trial in the era of COVID-19 pandemic

“…The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a noticeable effect on patients with chronic diseases who require long-term care, of which diabetes was reported to be most influenced by the reduction in healthcare resources in the pandemic [4]. Besides the difficulties of shortage in medical staff and standard outpatient clinics, delayed care seeking, limited self-care practice, transportation inconveniency and unidentified adverse events all contributed to the major challenges of traditional diabetes care in the COVID-19 era [5].…”