Research has shown that a few people with Type 1 diabetes are at an increased risk for having traffic accidents due to low blood sugars.
Possibly, we can help the diabetes community.
Researchers at the University of Virginia are conducting a study evaluating internet tools designed to: • Anonymously assess risk for ALL drivers with Type 1 diabetes of being in an accident and • Potentially help reduce the chance of high-risk drivers being in a future collision.
The study is strictly confidential and the data collected will not be shared with any other person or agency. The study is done in your own home at your own convenience (no visits to clinics). Participants may earn up to $270 in internet gift cards.
I joined this survey in June of last year. I was put into the "control" group, so basically every month I fill out a short survey about whether I have had any severe hypos while driving etc. It is easy, unobtrusive and at the end of June I will get Amazon gift cards of $220.00 and I have already gotten a $50.00 Amazon card for signing up. Who says being a T1 D doesn't pay ?
Yes we could but since that wasn't one of the options on the sign up form, I instead opted for $270.00 in Amazon gift cards which while they won't cure diabetes will probably allow me to get a few good books on the subject and maybe some watermelon glucose tablets to deal with hypos.
My comments weren't directed at you, Clare; in fact the gift cards look pretty tempting, but at the people who waste time and money on these ridiculous so-called studies. We don't allow people to come onto TuD for the express purpose of selling things, why do we allow people to do poorly designed or nonsensical studies here? At least someone selling something, if it is something that benefits D has simple clear intentions.While "study" sounds professional, and you would think University involvement even more so, and would enhance our standing as a community, some of them have been embarrassingly poor.
But have you actually looked at this particular study before condemning it ? I did look at the study from the beginning. I read what I could about how it was designed and what was the prime objective and felt it could potentially help some people with T1 whose driving privileges have been restricted or whose states impose restrictions for PWD when they attempt to get or renew a driver's license. This one did not seem to be embarrassingly poorly designed and in fact I felt it was very well thought out and if my experience can help someone else then I am going to do it and I would encourage others to do the same. Just like SarahUVA did here.
No, I was referring to previous studies/surveys that were poorly designed. This one just seemed blindingly obvious to me. Who is at risk for causing accidents? Type 1's who don't test their blood sugar before driving. Kind of a no brainer.
But I admit I'm biased based on my annoyance at many previous so called studies. We all do what we feel is right and I'm not criticizing your choice to participate if it seemed worthwhile to you!
Why is this research nonsensical? Not every T1 has the tools or control that you may have and as Dr. Cox's previous NIH funded research shows this may be a problem for T1s (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2782972/). Winning NIH funds means you have a well thought out and designed study. The researcher is being straight forward with his intentions, he is accurately describing the benefits and risks, and he has obtained the appropriate federal assurances and approvals. Your participation is entirely voluntary.
Research leading to T1s getting into less auto accidents isn's a benefit? I don't understand?
Testing prior to getting behind the wheel doesn't ensure that one won't get a low while driving. That has certainly happened to me ... "hey, will you check my sugar for me, please." I attempted to participate but I unfortunately do not meet the study's criteria.
The admonition to just test before driving implies that the number we're at when we start driving is what it will be through the entire drive. Certainly not my experience! I wear a CGM and have a 45-minute commute to work, during which my blood sugar can do all kinds of things, and I frequently need to intervene to keep it in range while driving. I'd say this issue is anything BUT a no-brainer. Seems like very worthy research to me, and I really appreciate it!
If in fact that is what it shows; correlation and causation are two different things and much research fails to differentiate adequately between the two. And if, in the end, what it shows is "good management tools" reduce dangers of getting into blood glucose related accidents, well then we already know that don't we? And there are many other venues that teach, describe or otherwise suggest what those tools might be. Personally some of the "studies" that have been submitted to this website are ones I wouldn't accept as valid from my Community College Students. For one, I see this as a part of the "jumping on the bandwagon" where money is to be made. Some very good things happen on the internet, but there is also a lot of sloppy, non-professional, non researched information masquerading as valid data. Since I'm on a rant, I also was surprised to see a guest speaker on TuD who wrote a book entitled something like "Type 1's can eat whatever they want". First of all, publishing a book on an idea that has been touted by the ADA for years now seems opportunistic at best (and pandering to a public who wants easy self-indulgent answers). At worst it is perpetuating an idea that has, many of us believe, been injurious to our community. People who adhere to this idea have greatly unstable blood sugars, gain weight and develop insulin resistance. Many of us have had to spend years banging our heads against the wall of this false idea, before being able to get any reasonable control. Both Types have, in slightly different forms, been victim of this false idea.
As for driving and blood sugar. Yes, there are obviously other factors. If our blood sugar is vacillating greatly over a relatively short drive then we have other factors in play such as an inaccurate basal rate, recent meal bolus, etc. "■■■■ happens" at times, that can't be controlled for, but in general when I set out for my college an hour away if I'm say 115, and all factors are accounted for, I am unlikely to go below 60 before arrival. Those factors are things we all need to learn for ourselves, but don't need a specific study relating them to driving. Driving, fortunately, in and of itself is not a variable for BG management. Which is the flaw I see in the idea of this study.
All I'm suggesting is a bit of quality control. As a Psychology Instructor I encourage my students to read even published professional studies with a critical eye. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable than myself in the area of Research Methodology should be vetting these things.
My opinion is that a lot of diabetes related auto-accidents occur after commencing with a normal BG, but then going into denial when the driver is actually getting strong signals that he/she is going critically low. I find that highway driving significantly lowers my BG. So that even if I start with a normal BG, after an hour I might be crashing. It's not as simple as testing before you drive, unless you are merely driving to your mail box.
I filled out their preliminary application because I thought their study might eventually provide some insight and tools to enhance the safety of persons with diabetes.
It's not always as simple as checking your sugar before you drive. I've had many situations where my BG's dropped significantly in a 15 minute period. One time while I was doing laundry at a laundromat I checked my BG right before I folded my last article of clothing. It was in range and my CGM indicated sideways movement, as I expected.
Within 5 minutes when I got to my car, my dog gave me a low blood sugar alert and sure enough, a quick fingerstick BG revealed a low <70. Life sometimes interferes with our best intentions and even ingrained habits. I've also experienced instances where I felt fine but was actually low, hypo-unaware. If you drop low enough, even a well established habit of checking before driving can be overlooked.
This looks like a legitimate study conducted by a respected university. Maybe it will not produce anything of value but it deserves a chance.
I received a prompt reply to my preliminary application and apparently I do not match their requirements.
My big concern was that any data that I supplied be de-identified and not available to any other public or private agency. Their protocol seemed to answer my privacy concerns.
LOL. I'm sort of glad I'm not qualified for this survey. Diabetes and driving is a weird combo but I am very apprehensive about studies and who might use them for dark purposes.
