Management of new-onset diabetes is important to achieve metabolic stabilization, minimize acute complications, and to provide insulin therapy, diabetes education and psychological support. A health technology assessment (HTA) was conducted to determine if an outpatient setting could be effective and safe for new-onset diabetes in children, and how it can be implemented in our pediatric center.

A systematic search on initial management (outpatient versus in-hospital) of diabetes in children was performed in multiple databases and grey literature. Practice guidelines (CPGs), systematic reviews (SRs), randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized comparative studies (NRCSs) published up to August 2017 were identified. Telephone interviews with key informants from two children's university teaching hospitals were performed to collect information on outpatient initial management models and issues related to their implementation. An interdisciplinary group of experts from our pediatric center collaborated in this project.

According to 5 CPGs, hospitalization would not be required for children without acute complications at time of diagnosis or after initial treatment of ketoacidosis if outpatient care facilities, resources, and education are available. Results from one SR and 7 NRCSs suggested that outpatient initial management is associated with good metabolic control (glycated hemoglobin) and is as safe as the inpatient care model, based on rate of hospital admissions, severe hypoglycemia, and ketoacidosis episode. However, few data regarding treatment adherence, knowledge acquisition, and emotional adaptation were identified. Outpatient education programs can be successfully provided on several consecutive or non-consecutive days after diagnosis as reported by two children's university teaching hospitals.

Although data on effectiveness and safety are scarce and of low-quality, outpatient management of newly diagnosed diabetes, uncomplicated or stabilized, is recommended in children. However, data on children and their families should be collected as part of the implementation evaluation in order to enhance its efficacy and the quality of the patients’ and families’ experiences.