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. 2021 May;38(5):e14498.
doi: 10.1111/dme.14498. Epub 2020 Dec 30.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with diabetes and diabetes services: A pan-European survey of diabetes specialist nurses undertaken by the Foundation of European Nurses in Diabetes survey consortium

Rita Forde  1 , Liga Arente  2 , Davide Ausili  3 , Kristin De Backer  4 , Mette Due-Christensen  1   5 , Amanda Epps  6 , Anne Fitzpatrick  7 , Moira Grixti  8 , Sijda Groen  9 , Arja Halkoaho  10 , Claudia Huber  11 , Marjolein M Iversen  12 , Unn-Britt Johansson  13   14 , Claudia Leippert  15 , Seyda Ozcan  16 , Julie Parker  17 , Ana Christina Paiva  18 , Adina Sanpetreanu  19 , Marie-Alice Savet  20 , Svetic-Cisic Rosana  21 , Alicja Szewczyk  22 , Maite Valverde  23 , Eugenia Vlachou  24 , Angus Forbes  1 ; FEND COVID-19 consortium
Collaborators, Affiliations

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with diabetes and diabetes services: A pan-European survey of diabetes specialist nurses undertaken by the Foundation of European Nurses in Diabetes survey consortium

Rita Forde et al. Diabet Med. 2021 May.

Abstract

Aim: To describe diabetes nurses' perspectives on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with diabetes and diabetes services across Europe.

Methods: An online survey developed using a rapid Delphi method. The survey was translated into 17 different languages and disseminated electronically in 27 countries via national diabetes nurse networks.

Results: Survey responses from 1829 diabetes nurses were included in the analysis. The responses indicated that 28% (n = 504) and 48% (n = 873) of diabetes nurses felt the COVID-19 pandemic had impacted 'a lot' on the physical and psychological risks of people with diabetes, respectively. The following clinical problems were identified as having increased 'a lot': anxiety 82% (n = 1486); diabetes distress 65% (n = 1189); depression 49% (n = 893); acute hyperglycaemia 39% (n = 710) and foot complications 18% (n = 323). Forty-seven percent (n = 771) of respondents identified that the level of care provided to people with diabetes had declined either extremely or quite severely. Self-management support, diabetes education and psychological support were rated by diabetes nurse respondents as having declined extremely or quite severely during the COVID-19 pandemic by 31% (n = 499), 63% (n = 1,027) and 34% (n = 551), respectively.

Conclusion: The findings show that diabetes nurses across Europe have seen significant increases in both physical and psychological problems in their patient populations during COVID-19. The data also show that clinical diabetes services have been significantly disrupted. As the COVID-19 situation continues, we need to adapt care systems with some urgency to minimise the impact of the pandemic on the diabetes population.

Keywords: COVID-19; diabetes care provision; physical and psychological health.

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Conflict of interest statement

None.

Figures

CHART 1
CHART 1
Response by country
CHART 2
CHART 2
Proportion of nurses indicating increased risk to the physical and psychological health of people with diabetes* Country
CHART 3
CHART 3
Disruption to different care dimensions (%)* Country
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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