CommuniT1D: virtual peer support for adults with type 1 diabetes in Canada
CommuniT1D: A Customized Virtual Peer Support Program For People Living With Type 1 Diabetes In Canada
This project will try a virtual, peer-led support program of small group meetings and webinars for adults in Canada living with type 1 diabetes or related insulin-requiring diabetes and for their loved ones.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 300 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Laval University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Québec, Quebec) |
| Trial ID | NCT07317986 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
CommuniT1D will be co-developed with people who live with type 1 diabetes, researchers, and clinicians using a community-based participatory design and action research approach. The program will recruit peer leaders and members across Canada and form small virtual groups matched by shared lived experiences, holding monthly peer-led meetings via Zoom and monthly larger webinars. The team will use tailored outreach through partner organizations, networks, and ads to enroll participants and will iterate the program based on participant feedback. A realist evaluation framework will be used to understand what works, for whom, and in what contexts.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults (18+) who live in Canada and have type 1 diabetes or another insulin-requiring form of diabetes (LADA, MODY, type 3c) or are a loved one of someone with these conditions, and who can read consent in English or French.
Not a fit: People with only type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes, or gestational diabetes and those under 18 are not eligible and are unlikely to benefit from this program, as are anyone needing urgent clinical care rather than peer support.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could reduce isolation and improve mental well-being and practical self-management support for people affected by type 1 diabetes.
How similar studies have performed: Previous peer-support programs for diabetes have shown benefits for social support and mental health though clinical outcome effects are mixed, and virtual peer support is a newer approach with promising but still limited evidence.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Participants in CommuniT1D must be people living with T1D or another rare, insulin-requiring form of diabetes, namely, Latent autoimmune diabetes of adults (LADA), Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Youth (MODY), or type 3c, which occurs due to an injury to or removal of the pancreas. Loved ones such as a parent, child, spouse, caregiver, or friend of an individual with T1D or other rarer forms of diabetes will also be eligible to participate in CommuniT1D. Participants must be 18 years and older, reside in Canada, and be able to read the consent form in English or French. Exclusion Criteria: Individuals with type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes, or gestational diabetes and no connection to T1D, LADA, MODY, type 3c, or other rare, insulin-requiring forms of diabetes will not be included in CommuniT1D. Individuals under 18 years old will also be ineligible to participate. As the program grows, we hope to expand to also include adolescents and children, who may need parental consent for them to join, depending on their Canadian province or territory of residence. Should we be able to pursue this option, we will work with institutional research ethics boards to ensure that we welcome participation by youth while also ensuring their safety within CommuniT1D. In such a case, the age restrictions in our eligibility criteria would change.
Where this trial is running
Québec, Quebec
- Université Laval — Québec, Quebec, Canada (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Holly Witteman, PhD
- Email: holly.witteman@fmed.ulaval.ca
- Phone: 418-656-2131
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.