Project 460080

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a preventable and life-threatening complication of diabetes. DKA can be prevented if the symptoms of diabetes are recognized early, and children receive urgent and appropriate medical care. In recent years, the percentage of children with DKA at the time of diabetes diagnosis has risen. In response, the Canadian Pediatric Endocrine Group (CPEG), the official Canadian association for pediatric endocrinology, has put together a working group to develop a national strategy to prevent DKA at diagnosis in children. In Phase 1 of this work, we reviewed previous DKA prevention strategies to understand which groups of people need to do what differently to prevent DKA at diagnosis in children. In this application (Phase 2), we propose to work together with patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals to plan an intervention that is based on what we have learned from past interventions around the world, and an existing Canadian program to support children with diabetes at school. Engaging with these Canadian stakeholders will make sure that our intervention meets the needs of Canadian children and their caregivers, and the structure of the Canadian healthcare system, considering differences between provinces, and the unique circumstances of under-represented communities including Indigenous Peoples. This planning phase will lay the groundwork for an application to fund Phase 3, in which we will carry out the intervention and evaluate if it works to prevent DKA at diagnosis in children.