Protocol for a feasibility and acceptability study for UK general population paediatric type 1 diabetes screening-the EarLy Surveillance for Autoimmune diabetes (ELSA) study
Abstract
Aim: The EarLy Surveillance for Autoimmune (ELSA) study aims to explore the feasibility and acceptability of UK paediatric general population screening for type 1 diabetes.
Methods: We aim to screen 20,000 children aged 3-13 years for islet-specific autoantibodies through dried blood spot sample collection at home, hospital or community settings. Children with two or more autoantibodies are offered metabolic staging via oral glucose challenge testing. Feasibility assessments will compare recruitment modalities and uptake according to demographic factors (age, gender, ethnicity, level of deprivation and family history of diabetes) to determine optimal approaches for general population screening. The study is powered to identify 60 children (0.3%) with type 1 diabetes (stage 1-3). Parents are invited to qualitative interviews following ELSA completion (child screened negative or positive, single autoantibody or multiple, stage 1-3) to share their screening experience, strengths of the programme and any areas for improvement (acceptability assessments). Parents who decline screening or withdraw from participation are invited to interview to explore any concerns. Finally, we will interview professional stakeholders delivering the ELSA study to explore barriers and facilitators to implementation.
Conclusion: Early detection of type 1 diabetes allows insulin treatment to be started sooner, avoids diagnosis as an emergency, gives families time to prepare and the opportunity to benefit from future prevention trials and treatments. ELSA will provide essential feasibility and acceptability assessments for UK general population screening to inform a future national screening programme for paediatric type 1 diabetes.
Author
Quinn, Lauren M
Dias, Renuka P
Greenfield, Sheila M
Richter, Alex G
Garstang, Joanna
Shukla, David
Acharjee, Animesh
Gkoutos, Georgios
Oram, Richard
Faustini, Sian
Boiko, Olga
Litchfield, Ian
Boardman, Felicity
Zakia, Fatima
Burt, Christine
Connop, Clair
Lepley, Amanda
Gardner, Christine
Dayan, Colin
Barrett, Tim
Narendran, Parth
Dias, Renuka P
Greenfield, Sheila M
Richter, Alex G
Garstang, Joanna
Shukla, David
Acharjee, Animesh
Gkoutos, Georgios
Oram, Richard
Faustini, Sian
Boiko, Olga
Litchfield, Ian
Boardman, Felicity
Zakia, Fatima
Burt, Christine
Connop, Clair
Lepley, Amanda
Gardner, Christine
Dayan, Colin
Barrett, Tim
Narendran, Parth
Citations
Altmetric:
Date
2024-12-02
Type
Article
Subject
Public health. Health statistics. Occupational health. Health education, Paediatrics, Endocrinology
Citation
Quinn LM, Dias RP, Greenfield SM, Richter AG, Garstang J, Shukla D, Acharjee A, Gkoutos G, Oram R, Faustini S, Boiko O, Litchfield I, Boardman F, Zakia F, Burt C, Connop C, Lepley A, Gardner C, Dayan C, Barrett T, Narendran P. Protocol for a feasibility and acceptability study for UK general population paediatric type 1 diabetes screening-the EarLy Surveillance for Autoimmune diabetes (ELSA) study. Diabet Med. 2025 May;42(5):e15490. doi: 10.1111/dme.15490. Epub 2024 Dec 2.
Journal / Source Title
Diabetic Medicine : a Journal of the British Diabetic Association
DOI
10.1111/dme.15490
PMID
39623620
Publisher
Wiley
Publisher’s URL
Quinn LM, Dias RP, Greenfield SM, Richter AG, Garstang J, Shukla D, Acharjee A, Gkoutos G, Oram R, Faustini S, Boiko O, Litchfield I, Boardman F, Zakia F, Burt C, Connop C, Lepley A, Gardner C, Dayan C, Barrett T, Narendran P. Protocol for a feasibility and acceptability study for UK general population paediatric type 1 diabetes screening-the EarLy Surveillance for Autoimmune diabetes (ELSA) study. Diabet Med. 2024 Dec 2:e15490. doi: 10.1111/dme.15490. Epub ahead of print.