Diabetes Telemedicine Mediterranean Diet (DiaTeleMed) Study: study protocol for a fully remote randomized clinical trial evaluating personalized dietary management in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Background: The Diabetes Telemedicine Mediterranean Diet (DiaTeleMed) Study is a fully remote randomized clinical trial evaluating personalized dietary management in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D). The study aims to test the efficacy of a personalized behavioral approach for dietary management of moderately-controlled T2D, versus a standardized behavioral intervention that uses one-size-fits-all dietary recommendations, versus a usual care control (UCC). The primary outcome will compare the impact of each intervention on the mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (MAGE).
Methods: Eligible participants are between 21 to 80 years of age diagnosed with moderately-controlled T2D (HbA1c: 6.0-8.0%), and managed on lifestyle alone or lifestyle plus metformin. Participants must be willing and able to attend virtual counseling sessions and log meals into a dietary tracking smartphone application (DayTwo), and wear a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) for up to 12 days. Participants are randomized with equal allocation (n = 255, n = 85 per arm) to one of three arms: 1) Personalized , 2) Standardized , or 3) UCC . Measurements occur at 0 (baseline), 3, and 6 months. All participants receive isocaloric energy and macronutrients targets to meet Mediterranean diet guidelines plus 14 intervention contacts over 6 months (4 weekly then 10 biweekly) to cover diabetes self-management education. The first 4 UCC intervention contacts are delivered via synchronous videoconferences followed by educational video links. Participants in Standardized receive the same education content as UCC on the same schedule. However, all intervention contacts are conducted via synchronous videoconferences, paired with Social Cognitive Theory (SCT)-based behavioral counseling, plus dietary self-monitoring of planned meals using a mobile app that provides real-time feedback on calories and macronutrients. Participants in the Personalized arm receive all elements of the Standardized intervention, plus real-time feedback on predicted post-prandial glycemic response (PPGR) to meals and snacks logged into the mobile app.
Discussion: The DiaTeleMed study will address an important gap in the current landscape of precision nutrition by determining the contributions of behavioral counseling and personalized nutrition recommendations on glycemic control in individuals with T2D. The fully remote methodology of the study allows for scalability and innovative delivery of personalized dietary recommendations at a population level.
Trial Registration: The DiaTeleMed Study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT05046886).
Competing Interests: Competing interests CJP is the CEO of TAIN Nutrition, LLC.