Diabetes management in a health maintenance organization. Efficacy of care management using cluster visits

Evaluation of an outreach programme for patients with COVID-19 in an integrated healthcare delivery system: a retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVES

In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, health systems implemented programmes to manage outpatients with COVID-19. The goal was to expedite patients' referral to acute care and prevent overcrowding of medical centres. We sought to evaluate the impact of such a programme, the COVID-19 Home Care Team (CHCT) programme.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort.

SETTING

Kaiser Permanente Northern California.

PARTICIPANTS

Adult members before COVID-19 vaccine availability (1 February 2020-31 January 2021) with positive SARS-CoV-2 tests.

INTERVENTION

Virtual programme to track and treat patients with 'CHCT programme'.

OUTCOMES

The outcomes were (1) COVID-19-related emergency department visit, (2) COVID-19-related hospitalisation and (3) inpatient mortality or 30-day hospice referral.

MEASURES

We estimated the average effect comparing patients who were and were not treated by CHCT. We estimated propensity scores using an ensemble super learner (random forest, XGBoost, generalised additive model and multivariate adaptive regression splines) and augmented inverse probability weighting.

RESULTS

There were 98 585 patients with COVID-19. The majority were followed by CHCT (n=80 067, 81.2%). Patients followed by CHCT were older (mean age 43.9 vs 41.6 years, p<0.001) and more comorbid with COmorbidity Point Score, V.2, score ≥65 (1.7% vs 1.1%, p<0.001). Unadjusted analyses showed more COVID-19-related emergency department visits (9.5% vs 8.5%, p<0.001) and hospitalisations (3.9% vs 3.2%, p<0.001) in patients followed by CHCT but lower inpatient death or 30-day hospice referral (0.3% vs 0.5%, p<0.001). After weighting, there were higher rates of COVID-19-related emergency department visits (estimated intervention effect -0.8%, 95% CI -1.4% to -0.3%) and hospitalisation (-0.5%, 95% CI -0.9% to -0.1%) but lower inpatient mortality or 30-day hospice referral (-0.5%, 95% CI -0.7% to -0.3%) in patients followed by CHCT.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite CHCT following older patients with higher comorbidity burden, there appeared to be a protective effect. Patients followed by CHCT were more likely to present to acute care and less likely to die inpatient.

Quality improvement strategies for diabetes care: Effects on outcomes for adults living with diabetes

BACKGROUND

There is a large body of evidence evaluating quality improvement (QI) programmes to improve care for adults living with diabetes. These programmes are often comprised of multiple QI strategies, which may be implemented in various combinations. Decision-makers planning to implement or evaluate a new QI programme, or both, need reliable evidence on the relative effectiveness of different QI strategies (individually and in combination) for different patient populations.

OBJECTIVES

To update existing systematic reviews of diabetes QI programmes and apply novel meta-analytical techniques to estimate the effectiveness of QI strategies (individually and in combination) on diabetes quality of care.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched databases (CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase and CINAHL) and trials registers (ClinicalTrials.gov and WHO ICTRP) to 4 June 2019. We conducted a top-up search to 23 September 2021; we screened these search results and 42 studies meeting our eligibility criteria are available in the awaiting classification section.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomised trials that assessed a QI programme to improve care in outpatient settings for people living with diabetes. QI programmes needed to evaluate at least one system- or provider-targeted QI strategy alone or in combination with a patient-targeted strategy. - System-targeted: case management (CM); team changes (TC); electronic patient registry (EPR); facilitated relay of clinical information (FR); continuous quality improvement (CQI). - Provider-targeted: audit and feedback (AF); clinician education (CE); clinician reminders (CR); financial incentives (FI). - Patient-targeted: patient education (PE); promotion of self-management (PSM); patient reminders (PR). Patient-targeted QI strategies needed to occur with a minimum of one provider or system-targeted strategy.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We dual-screened search results and abstracted data on study design, study population and QI strategies. We assessed the impact of the programmes on 13 measures of diabetes care, including: glycaemic control (e.g. mean glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c)); cardiovascular risk factor management (e.g. mean systolic blood pressure (SBP), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), proportion of people living with diabetes that quit smoking or receiving cardiovascular medications); and screening/prevention of microvascular complications (e.g. proportion of patients receiving retinopathy or foot screening); and harms (e.g. proportion of patients experiencing adverse hypoglycaemia or hyperglycaemia). We modelled the association of each QI strategy with outcomes using a series of hierarchical multivariable meta-regression models in a Bayesian framework. The previous version of this review identified that different strategies were more or less effective depending on baseline levels of outcomes. To explore this further, we extended the main additive model for continuous outcomes (HbA1c, SBP and LDL-C) to include an interaction term between each strategy and average baseline risk for each study (baseline thresholds were based on a data-driven approach; we used the median of all baseline values reported in the trials). Based on model diagnostics, the baseline interaction models for HbA1c, SBP and LDL-C performed better than the main model and are therefore presented as the primary analyses for these outcomes. Based on the model results, we qualitatively ordered each QI strategy within three tiers (Top, Middle, Bottom) based on its magnitude of effect relative to the other QI strategies, where 'Top' indicates that the QI strategy was likely one of the most effective strategies for that specific outcome. Secondary analyses explored the sensitivity of results to choices in model specification and priors.  Additional information about the methods and results of the review are available as Appendices in an online repository. This review will be maintained as a living systematic review; we will update our syntheses as more data become available.

MAIN RESULTS

We identified 553 trials (428 patient-randomised and 125 cluster-randomised trials), including a total of 412,161 participants. Of the included studies, 66% involved people living with type 2 diabetes only. Participants were 50% female and the median age of participants was 58.4 years. The mean duration of follow-up was 12.5 months. HbA1c was the commonest reported outcome; screening outcomes and outcomes related to cardiovascular medications, smoking and harms were reported infrequently. The most frequently evaluated QI strategies across all study arms were PE, PSM and CM, while the least frequently evaluated QI strategies included AF, FI and CQI. Our confidence in the evidence is limited due to a lack of information on how studies were conducted.  Four QI strategies (CM, TC, PE, PSM) were consistently identified as 'Top' across the majority of outcomes. All QI strategies were ranked as 'Top' for at least one key outcome. The majority of effects of individual QI strategies were modest, but when used in combination could result in meaningful population-level improvements across the majority of outcomes. The median number of QI strategies in multicomponent QI programmes was three.  Combinations of the three most effective QI strategies were estimated to lead to the below effects:  - PR + PSM + CE: decrease in HbA1c by 0.41% (credibility interval (CrI) -0.61 to -0.22) when baseline HbA1c < 8.3%; - CM + PE + EPR: decrease in HbA1c by 0.62% (CrI -0.84 to -0.39) when baseline HbA1c > 8.3%;  - PE + TC + PSM: reduction in SBP by 2.14 mmHg (CrI -3.80 to -0.52) when baseline SBP < 136 mmHg; - CM + TC + PSM: reduction in SBP by 4.39 mmHg (CrI -6.20 to -2.56) when baseline SBP > 136 mmHg;  - TC + PE + CM: LDL-C lowering of 5.73 mg/dL (CrI -7.93 to -3.61) when baseline LDL < 107 mg/dL; - TC + CM + CR: LDL-C lowering by 5.52 mg/dL (CrI -9.24 to -1.89) when baseline LDL > 107 mg/dL. Assuming a baseline screening rate of 50%, the three most effective QI strategies were estimated to lead to an absolute improvement of 33% in retinopathy screening (PE + PR + TC) and 38% absolute increase in foot screening (PE + TC + Other).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

There is a significant body of evidence about QI programmes to improve the management of diabetes. Multicomponent QI programmes for diabetes care (comprised of effective QI strategies) may achieve meaningful population-level improvements across the majority of outcomes. For health system decision-makers, the evidence summarised in this review can be used to identify strategies to include in QI programmes. For researchers, this synthesis identifies higher-priority QI strategies to examine in further research regarding how to optimise their evaluation and effects. We will maintain this as a living systematic review.

Effect of community-based nurse-led support intervention in the reduction of HbA1c levels

PURPOSE

To determine the effect of community based Nurse-led support intervention in the reduction of HbA1c levels compared to usual care.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A systematic search of four electronic databases was conducted until August 2021 including RCTs to check for a reduction in HbA1c levels in Nurse-led intervention arm.

RESULTS

Twenty-one trials involving 4649 diabetic individuals were included in the review. The pooled mean difference in the reduction of HbA1c in the intervention group was found to be -0.421 (95% CI: -0.59 to -0.25).

CONCLUSION AND EVIDENCE

Nurse-led educational intervention proved beneficial in the control of HbA1c among diabetic individuals.

Healthcare Professionals' Views of Factors Influencing Diabetes Self-Management and the Utility of a mHealth Application and Its Features to Support Self-Care

INTRODUCTION

The perspectives of healthcare professionals (HCPs) are pivotal to co-development of self-management strategies for patients with diabetes. However, literature has been largely limited to perspectives of patients within the context of a Western healthcare setting. This study aims to explore factors influencing diabetes self-management in adult patients with diabetes from the perspectives of HCPs and their views of the value of mHealth application for diabetes self-management.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted focus group discussions (FGD) with purposively selected HCPs in Singapore. All FGDs were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was conducted using NVivo 12.

RESULTS

A total of 56 HCPs participated in the study. Barriers to self-management included limited patient commitment to lifestyle changes, suboptimal adherence to medication and treatment, patient resistance to insulin initiation and insufficient rapport between patients and HCPs. Patients' perceived susceptibility to complications, social support from family and community, multidisciplinary team care and patient's understanding of the benefits of self-care were viewed as facilitating self-management. HCPs saw mHealth apps as a vital opportunity to engage patients in the self-management of conditions and empower them to foster behavior changes. Yet, there were concerns regarding patient's limited digital literacy, lack of integration into routine electronic system and reluctance.

DISCUSSION

We identified a set of factors influencing self-management in adult patients with diabetes and useful app features that can empower patients to manage their conditions. Findings will inform the development of a mHealth application, and its features designed to improve self-care.

Implementing texting programs in the P.O.W.E.R. (preventing obesity with eating right) medical group visit for weight loss

BACKGROUND

The effect of incorporating mobile technology to support participants' lifestyle change and weight loss in medical group visits has not been well studied in a safety-net setting.

RATIONALE AND DESIGN

Thus, the rationale of the current study was to examine the effect of text messaging in a medical group visit, and test the effect of two texting programs (12 weeks and 20 weeks), compared to those who did not receive text-messaging in the Preventing Obesity With Eating Right (POWER) group visit program. The primary outcome was weight loss.

RESULTS

We found that those enrolled in the 20-week and 12-week texting programs attended more group visit sessions than those enrolled in the POWER group only (p < 0.001). Both POWER and POWER + 20-week texting groups had a significant reduction in weight at their final group visit compared to their baseline (POWER, 114 ± 27 kg vs. 112 ± 26 kg, p < 0.001; POWER + 20-week texting, 111 ± 28 kg vs. 109 ± 28 kg, p < 0.01), but not the 12-week texting group (114 ± 29 kg vs. 113 ± 29 kg, p = 0.22), with no differences between the groups. The number of group visits was correlated with a decrease in weight (rs  = 0.12, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, text messaging programs led to more attendance in the medical group visits, but not greater weight loss or reduction in HbA1c than the POWER group obesity program alone. Further studies are needed to maximize the beneficial effects of texting programs in medical group visits in underserved minority populations.

Update on Approaches to Improve Delivery and Quality of Care for People with Diabetes

To translate improvements in diabetes management into improved outcomes, it is essential to improve care delivery. To help guide clinicians and health organizations in their efforts to achieve these improvements, this article briefly describes key components underpinning effective diabetes care and six categories of innovations in approaches to improve diabetes care delivery: (1) team-based clinical care; (2) cross-specialty collaboration/integration; (3) virtual clinical care/telehealth; (4) use of community health workers (CHWs) and trained peers to provide pro-active self-management support; (5) incorporating screening for and addressing social determinants of health into clinical practice; and (6) cross-sectoral clinic/community partnerships.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Diabetes Shared Medical Appointments (SMAs) as Implemented in Five Veterans Affairs Health Systems: a Multi-site Cluster Randomized Pragmatic Trial

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether diabetes shared medical appointments (SMAs) implemented as part of usual clinical practice in diverse health systems are more effective than usual care in improving and sustaining A1c improvements.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A multi-site cluster randomized pragmatic trial examining implementation in clinical practice of diabetes SMAs in five Veterans Affairs (VA) health systems was conducted from 2016 to 2020 among 1537 adults with type 2 diabetes and elevated A1cs. Eligible patients were randomly assigned to either: (1) invitation to participate in a series of SMAs totaling 8-9 h; or (2) continuation of usual care. Relative change in A1c (primary outcome) and in systolic blood pressure, insulin starts, statin starts, and anti-hypertensive medication classes (secondary outcomes) were measured as part of usual clinical care at baseline, at 6 months and at 12 months (~7 months after conclusion of the final SMA in four of five sites). We examined outcomes in three samples of SMA participants: all those scheduled for a SMA, those attending at least one SMA, and those attending at least half of SMAs.

RESULTS

Baseline mean A1c was 9.0%. Participants scheduled for an SMA achieved A1c reductions 0.35% points greater than the control group between baseline and 6-months follow up (p = .001). Those who attended at least one SMA achieved reductions 0.42 % points greater (p < .001), and those who attended at least half of scheduled SMAs achieved reductions 0.53 % points greater (p < .001) than the control group. At 12-month follow-up, the three SMA analysis samples achieved reductions from baseline ranging from 0.16 % points (p = 0.12) to 0.29 % points (p = .06) greater than the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

Diabetes SMAs as implemented in real-life diverse clinical practices improve glycemic control more than usual care immediately after the SMAs, but relative gains are not maintained. Our findings suggest the need for further study of whether a longer term SMA model or other follow-up strategies would sustain relative clinical improvements associated with this intervention.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT02132676.

A Telehealth-supported, Integrated care with CHWs, and MEdication-access (TIME) Program for Diabetes Improves HbA1c: a Randomized Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND

Many individuals with diabetes live in low- or middle-income settings. Glycemic control is challenging, particularly in resource-limited areas that face numerous healthcare barriers.

OBJECTIVE

To compare HbA1c outcomes for individuals randomized to TIME, a Telehealth-supported, Integrated care with CHWs (Community Health Workers), and MEdication-access program (intervention) versus usual care (wait-list control).

DESIGN

Randomized clinical trial.

PARTICIPANTS

Low-income Latino(a) adults with type 2 diabetes.

INTERVENTIONS

TIME consisted of (1) CHW-participant telehealth communication via mobile health (mHealth) for 12 months, (2) CHW-led monthly group visits for 6 months, and (3) weekly CHW-physician diabetes training and support via telehealth (video conferencing).

MAIN MEASURES

Investigators compared TIME versus control participant baseline to month 6 changes of HbA1c (primary outcome), blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), weight, and adherence to seven American Diabetes Association (ADA) standards of care. CHW assistance in identifying barriers to healthcare in the intervention group were measured at the end of mHealth communication (12 months).

KEY RESULTS

A total of 89 individuals participated. TIME individuals compared to control participants had significant HbA1c decreases (9.02 to 7.59% (- 1.43%) vs. 8.71 to 8.26% (- 0.45%), respectively, p = 0.002), blood pressure changes (systolic: - 6.89 mmHg vs. 0.03 mmHg, p = 0.023; diastolic: - 3.36 mmHg vs. 0.2 mmHg, respectively, p = 0.046), and ADA guideline adherence (p < 0.001) from baseline to month 6. At month 6, more TIME than control participants achieved > 0.50% HbA1c reductions (88.57% vs. 43.75%, p < 0.001). BMI and weight changes were not significant between groups. Many (54.6%) TIME participants experienced > 1 barrier to care, of whom 91.7% had medication issues. CHWs identified the majority (87.5%) of barriers.

CONCLUSIONS

TIME participants resulted in improved outcomes including HbA1c. CHWs are uniquely positioned to identify barriers to care particularly related to medications that may have gone unrecognized otherwise. Larger trials are needed to determine the scalability and sustainability of the intervention.

CLINICAL TRIAL

NCT03394456, accessed at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03394456.

The Effects of a Comprehensive Multidisciplinary Outpatient Diabetes Program on Hospital Readmission Rates in Patients with Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Prospective Study

OBJECTIVE

The diagnosis of diabetes mellitus is associated with an increased risk of hospital readmissions. The goal of this study was to determine whether there was a difference in the rates of 30-day and 365-day hospital readmissions between diabetic patients who, upon their discharge, received diabetes care in a standard primary care setting and those who received their care in a specialized multidisciplinary diabetes program.

METHODS

This was a randomized controlled prospective study.

RESULTS

One hundred and ninety two consecutive patients were recruited into the study, 95 (49%) into standard care (control group) and 97 (51%) into a multidisciplinary diabetes program (intervention group). The 30-day overall hospital readmission rates (including both emergency department and hospital readmissions) were 19% in the control group and 7% in the intervention group (P = .02). The 365-day overall hospital readmission rates were 38% in the control group and 14% in the intervention group (P = .0002).

CONCLUSION

Patients with diabetes who are assigned to a specialized multidisciplinary diabetes program upon their discharge exhibit significantly reduced hospital readmission rates at 30 days and 365 days after discharge.

Primary Care Diabetes Fellowship Programs: Developing National Standards

The rapid and constant increase in the number of people living with diabetes has outstripped the capacity of specialists to fully address this chronic disease alone. Furthermore, although most people with diabetes are treated in the primary care setting, most primary care providers feel under-prepared and under-resourced to fully address the needs of their patients with diabetes. Addressing this care gap will require a multifaceted approach centering on primary care training in diabetes and its complications. One-year diabetology fellowship programs are well situated to provide this training. Previous research has shown that the higher the diabetes-specific volume of patients seeing a primary care physician was, the better the quality outcomes were across six quality indicators (eye examinations, LDL cholesterol testing, A1C testing, prescriptions for ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, prescriptions for statins, and emergency department visits for hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia). Primary care diabetes fellowships have existed for many years, but the number of fellowships and fellowship positions has recently grown dramatically. This article proposes a standardized curriculum for such programs and makes the case for increasing their number in the United States.

A Pharmacist-Led Program to Taper Opioid Use at Kaiser Permanente Northwest: Rationale, Design, and Evaluation

INTRODUCTION

Primary care practitioners (PCPs) are concerned about adverse effects and poor outcomes of opioid use but may find opioid tapering difficult because of a lack of pain management training or time constraints limiting patient counseling. In 2010, Kaiser Permanente Northwest implemented a pharmacist-led opioid tapering program-Support Team Onsite Resource for Management of Pain (STORM)-to address high rates of opioid use, alleviate PCPs' workload demands, and improve patient outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the rationale, structure, and delivery of this unique pharmacist-led program, which partners with PCPs and provides individualized care to help patients reduce opioid use, and the Facilitating Lower Opioid Amounts through Tapering study, which examines the program's effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and implementation.

RESULTS

The STORM program includes a pain medicine physician, a social worker or nurse, and pharmacists who have received specialized clinical and communications training. The program has a 2-fold role: 1) to provide PCP education about pain management and opioid use and 2) to offer clinician and patient support with opioid tapering and pain management. After program training, PCPs are equipped to discuss the need for tapering with a patient and to refer to the program. Program pharmacists provide a range of services, including opioid taper plans, nonopioid pain management recommendations, and taper-support outreach to patients.

DISCUSSION

The STORM program provides individualized care to assist patients with opioid tapering while reducing the burden on PCPs.

CONCLUSION

The STORM program may be a valuable addition to health care systems and settings seeking options to address their patients' opioid tapering needs.

Impact of a Multidisciplinary, Endocrinologist-Led Shared Medical Appointment Model on Diabetes-Related Outcomes in an Underserved Population

A multidisciplinary endocrinologist-led shared medical appointment (SMA) model showed statistically significant reductions in A1C from baseline over 3 years that were not significantly different from appointments with endocrinologists or primary care providers alone within a resource-poor population. Similarly, the SMA model achieved clinical outcomes on par with endocrinologist-only visits with the added benefit of improving endocrine provider productivity and specialty access for patients. Greater patient engagement with the SMA model was associated with significantly lower A1C.

Effectiveness of group visits for elderly patients with type 2 diabetes in an urban community in China

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a group visit intervention in comparison with the usual care for elderly patients with type 2 diabetes in a community. We randomized 109 community elderly patients with type 2 diabetes to the intervention group (n = 55) of monthly group visits sessions or to a control group (n = 54) of usual care. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to compare the changes in HbA1_C, diabetes knowledge, self-efficacy, and self-management behavior in both groups. At the 6-month follow-up, although no significant difference was observed between the groups regarding HbA1_C (p = 0.272). Diabetes knowledge, self-efficacy and self-management scores were higher in patients in the intervention group than that in the control group (p < 0.05). The group visits model increased diabetes knowledge and self-efficacy and improved patients' self-management behavior. The model was found suitable for helping these elderly patients with type 2 diabetes achieve effective self-management.

Does task delegation to non-physician health professionals improve quality of diabetes care? Results of a scoping review

OBJECTIVE

As a result of unhealthy lifestyles, reduced numbers of healthcare providers are having to deal with an increasing number of diabetes patients. In light of this shortage of physicians and nursing staff, new concepts of care are needed. The aim of this scoping review is to review the literature and examine the effects of task delegation to non-physician health professionals, with a further emphasis on inter-professional care.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Systematic searches were performed using the PubMed, Embase and Google Scholar databases to retrieve papers published between January 1994 and December 2017. Randomised/non-randomised controlled trials and studies with a before/after design that described the delegation of tasks from physicians to non-physicians in diabetes care were included in the search. This review is a subgroup analysis that further assesses all the studies conducted using a team-based approach.

RESULTS

A total of 45 studies with 12,092 patients met the inclusion criteria. Most of the interventions were performed in an outpatient setting with type-2 diabetes mellitus patients. The non-physician healthcare professionals involved in the team were nurses, pharmacists, community health workers and dietitians. Most studies showed significant improvements in glycaemic control and high patient satisfaction, while there were no indications that the task delegation affected quality of life scores.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of the review suggest that task delegation can provide equivalent glycaemic control and potentially lead to an improvement in the quality of care. However, this review revealed a lack of clinical endpoints, as well as an inconsistency between the biochemical outcome parameters and the patient-centred outcome parameters. Given the vast differences between the individual healthcare systems used around the world, further high-quality research with an emphasis on long-term outcome effects and the expertise of non-physicians is needed.

Survey evaluation of in-hospital diabetes seminars provided by medical professionals, for medical professionals

Purpose: Diabetes is a multifactorial disease, and interprofessional teamwork is essential for its treatment. For successful interprofessional teamwork, individual medical professionals need to have certain skills, experience, and mutual understanding of the role of different professions. However, there are few opportunities to educate medical professionals to meet these demands. To resolve this problem, educational seminars about diabetes were conducted by and for medical professionals, and their effects were assessed using a questionnaire survey. Participants and methods: Medical professionals, including a dietician, a physiotherapist, a pharmacist, a clinical laboratory technician, and a doctor, provided 10 lectures, approximately 50 mins each, for medical professionals about their specialized skills in diabetes care. Nurses who were certified diabetes educators in Japan planned and organized the seminars. In every seminar, participants were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their profession, motivation to attend the seminar, general comments about the seminar, expectations regarding future seminars, and effects of the seminar on their daily work or attitude toward patients. Results: Among the 367 participants, 332 completed the questionnaire (respondents). The results revealed that by attending the seminars, some respondents strongly realized their lack of knowledge, some were inspired and encouraged to study more about diabetes, and some could understand other professions' work in diabetes care better than before. Over 70% of respondents reported that attending the seminar had changed their daily work or attitude toward patients; the remainder, however, felt unchanged for reasons such as their own lack of experience and ability, and the few chances to aid patients with diabetes. Conclusion: Educational diabetes seminars by and for medical professionals were implemented. The survey of the effects of the seminar has provided further insights into the needs and current situation of education for medical professionals.

Impact of Pharmacist Intervention on Improving the Quality of Life of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

AIM

To analyse the characteristics, and analyse the impact of pharmacist intervention on quality of life (QOL) outpatients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

METHODS

This six-month analytical cohort study was conducted by assessing the patients' characteristics and their quality of life by distributing a questionnaire, and the 36-Item short form instrument to the patients with T2DM (n = 45) admitted to the Tertiary hospital in Tebing Tinggi. Patients who had mental disorders, HIV-AIDS, liver disease, stage 4 chronic kidney disease, and pregnant women were excluded from the study. The patients' quality of life was measured before and after interventions and analysed using the paired t-test. All analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, version 22, Chicago, IL, USA) (p < 0.05 was considered significant).

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients was 61.96 ± 6.45 (years). Most (66.7%) of them were females. The mean QOL (in the score) of the patients: before the intervention, 61.07 ± 15.13; after the intervention, 70.15 ± 14.23, there was a significant difference between groups with and without interventions, p < 0.001.

CONCLUSION

Active contribution of pharmacists in the management of T2DM patients is urgent and important to improve the patients' QOL.

Facilitated group work for people with long-term conditions: a systematic review of benefits from studies of group-work interventions

BACKGROUND

About 15.4 million people in the UK live with a long-term condition. Of the health and social care spend, 70% is invested in caring for this population. Evidence suggests that group-work interventions offer patient support, improved outcomes, and reduce the costs of care.

AIM

To review the current evidence base examining the effectiveness of group work in long-term physical disease where such groups are facilitated by healthcare professionals.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Systematic review and narrative synthesis of studies of group-work interventions led by health professionals for adults with specified long-term illnesses.

METHOD

MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Cochrane databases were systematically searched using terms relating to group work and long-term conditions. Studies were included if they were randomised controlled trials (RCTs) with a control group that did not include group work.

RESULTS

The 14 included studies demonstrated a high degree of heterogeneity in terms of participant characteristics, interventions, and outcome measures and were of varying quality. The studies demonstrated some statistically significant improvements in pain, psychological outcomes, self-efficacy, self-care, and quality of life resulting from intervention.

CONCLUSION

This review demonstrates significant benefits resulting from group participation, in adults with long-term disease. Results were mixed and some benefits were short-lived. Nevertheless, these results suggest that group work should be more widely used in the management and support of adults with long-term illness. There is a need for larger and better-quality studies to explore this potentially important area further.

Evaluating the clinical implementation of structured exercise: A randomized controlled trial among non-insulin dependent type II diabetics

BACKGROUND

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) currently recommends 150 min of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week and resistance exercise at least twice per week in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) to improve overall health [1]. However, approximately 38% of patients with T2DM do not exercise at recommended levels and 31% do not exercise at all [2]. The efficacy of structured exercise interventions has been proven effective in reducing glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels in patients, but practical approaches are needed to translate these findings into the clinical setting [3-7].

OBJECTIVE

The Initiate and Maintain Physical Activity in Clinics (IMPACT) Study aims to compare structured group exercise within the clinic to usual care in T2DM patients. The main purpose of the study is to determine the optimal and feasible level and weekly frequency of structured contact in a clinical setting needed to initiate and maintain physical activity recommendations long-term.

STUDY DESIGN

IMPACT is a longitudinal, randomized-controlled study designed to track study participants over 30 months. Once study participants have met eligibility and enrollment criteria, they are randomized and enrolled into one of three arms: 1× per week exercise, 3× per week exercise, or the usual care control group. After randomization, participants begin Phase 1: Initiate lasting 6 months. Over the course of Phase 1, participants in the exercise groups will attend instructor led group training at a Stanford approved physical fitness facility. At the end of 6 months, participants enter Phase 2: Maintain lasting 24 months. Over the course of Phase 2, participants in all three arms will attend periodic follow-up visits for clinical measurements and survey administration for their final two years of participation. These findings will enable the clinical implementation of a structured exercise regimen designed to specifically address the aerobic and resistance training recommendations for patients with T2DM.

Sustainability of Clinical Benefits Gained During a Multidisciplinary Diabetes Shared Medical Appointment After Patients Return to Usual Care

IN BRIEF This study examined whether clinical benefits gained while participating in interdisciplinary diabetes shared medical appointments (SMAs) of finite duration (three to four monthly visits) are sustained after patients return to usual care. There are currently no publications confirming sustained clinical benefits beyond 9 months after SMA discharge without continued booster sessions to maintain benefits. At the end of the study, it was confirmed that both diabetes and cardiovascular benefits gained during multidisciplinary diabetes SMAs were sustained after patients were discharged to usual care without booster sessions for up to 3 years. The only exceptions were a statistically significant decrease in diastolic blood pressure at each yearly time point and a decrease in the percentage of patients meeting an A1C goal of <9% at year 2.

The effects of centering pregnancy on maternal and fetal outcomes in northern Nigeria; a prospective cohort analysis

Background

Maternal and infant mortality remains high in Nigeria primarily due to low use of skilled birth attendants. Huge disparities exist between southern and northen Nigeria on use of skilled birth attendants with south significantly higher than the north. We assessed the effect of centering pregnancy group (CPG) antenatal care on the uptake of antenatal care (ANC), facility delivery and immunization rates for infants in Kano state.

Methods

Between December 2012 and May 2014, pregnant women with similar sociodemographics and obstetric history were enrolled into intervention (CPG) and control groups and followed up prospectively. Chi-square tests were conducted to compare the differences between the intervention and the control groups with respect to background characteristics and intervention outcomes. Logistic regression was used to measure the associations between CPG and uptake of services for mother-baby pairs in care.

Results

A total of 517 (260 in the control group and 257 in the CPG) pregnant women enrolled and participated in the study. Thirty-six percent of women in the control group attended ANC at least once in 2nd and 3nd trimester compared to 49% of respondents in the CPG (p < 0.01). Health facility delivery was higher among CPG (13% vs. 8%; p < 0.01). When controlled for age, number of previous pregnancies, number of term deliveries, number of children alive and occupation of respondent or their spouses, respondents who participated in the CPGs compared to those who did not, were more likely to attend at least one antenatal care (ANC) session in the third trimester [adjusted risk ratio (ARR):1.52; 95% CI:1.36–1.69], more likely to immunize their babies at six weeks [ARR: 2.23; 95% CI: 1.16–4.29] and fourteen weeks [ARR: 3.46; 95% CI: 1.19–10.01] and more likely to use health services [ARR: 1.50; 95% CI: 1.06–2.13].

Conclusion

Centering or group pregnancy showed a positive effect on the use of antenatal services, facility delivery and postnatal services and thus is a promising intervention to increase uptake of maternal health care services in northern Nigeria. The low facility delivery remains a cause for alarm and requires further investigation to improve facility delivery in northern Nigeria.

Implementation and Evaluation of Shared Medical Appointments in Veterans With Diabetes: A Quality Improvement Study

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to implement and evaluate shared medical appointments (SMA) in veterans with diabetes.

BACKGROUND

Health systems are challenged to meet the complex care needs of veterans with diabetes. Use of SMA has resulted in significant improvements in A1c, blood pressure, and self-management skills in this population.

METHODS

Shared medical appointments were implemented in a Veterans Administration Health System. A1c, blood pressure, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, weight, and height were collected at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months; hospitalization anytime; and veteran satisfaction at baseline and 6 months.

RESULTS

From October 15, 2015, to March 15, 2016, 30 male veterans with diabetes participated in monthly SMA. Outcome measures except for high-density lipoprotein improved significantly (P < .02) from baseline to 6 months. No veterans were hospitalized. Veteran satisfaction increased significantly (P < .001).

CONCLUSION

Shared medical appointment can be a highly effective intervention for veterans with diabetes. Nursing leaders need to be at the forefront of implementing SMA for populations with chronic conditions.

Five-Year Effectiveness of the Multidisciplinary Risk Assessment and Management Programme-Diabetes Mellitus (RAMP-DM) on Diabetes-Related Complications and Health Service Uses-A Population-Based and Propensity-Matched Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the 5-year effectiveness of a multidisciplinary Risk Assessment and Management Programme-Diabetes Mellitus (RAMP-DM) in primary care patients with type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A 5-year prospective cohort study was conducted with 121,584 Chinese primary care patients with type 2 DM who were recruited between August 2009 and June 2011. Missing data were dealt with multiple imputations. After excluding patients with prior diabetes mellitus (DM)-related complications and one-to-one propensity score matching on all patient characteristics, 26,718 RAMP-DM participants and 26,718 matched usual care patients were followed up for a median time of 4.5 years. The effect of RAMP-DM on nine DM-related complications and all-cause mortality were evaluated using Cox regressions. The first incidence for each event was used for all models. Health service use was analyzed using negative binomial regressions. Subgroup analyses on different patient characteristics were performed.

RESULTS

The cumulative incidence of all events (DM-related complications and all-cause mortality) was 23.2% in the RAMP-DM group and 43.6% in the usual care group. RAMP-DM led to significantly greater reductions in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk by 56.6% (95% CI 54.5, 58.6), microvascular complications by 11.9% (95% CI 7.0, 16.6), mortality by 66.1% (95% CI 64.3, 67.9), specialist attendance by 35.0% (95% CI 33.6, 36.4), emergency attendance by 41.2% (95% CI 39.8, 42.5), and hospitalizations by 58.5% (95% CI 57.2, 59.7). Patients with low baseline CVD risks benefitted the most from RAMP-DM, which decreased CVD and mortality risk by 60.4% (95% CI 51.8, 67.5) and 83.6% (95% CI 79.3, 87.0), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This naturalistic study highlighted the importance of early optimal DM control and risk factor management by risk stratification and multidisciplinary, protocol-driven, chronic disease model care to delay disease progression and prevent complications.

Group based learning among caregivers: assessing mothers' knowledge before and after an early childhood intervention in rural Guatemala

BACKGROUND

The first three years of a child's life are a critical period for brain growth and development. Caregiver interventions during this period that improve early childhood health and development have the potential to enhance a child's physical, mental, and social well-being.

METHODS

This was a pretest/posttest quasi experimental program evaluation. Early childhood education materials were adapted to create two separate interventions consisting of 30-page interactive flipchart talks to educate mothers on health and development topics relevant to 0-6 and 6-12 month old children. Three community health workers performed the talks with groups of 5-8 mothers. Short learning assessments were given individually to each mother pre-intervention (pretest), immediately post-intervention (posttest 1), and two weeks post-intervention (posttest 2). Demographic surveys and focus group discussions were conducted with all participants.

RESULTS

Mothers (n = 77) had an average age of 33.6 years and had an average of 3.6 living children. Most of the mothers (71%) had received some primary education, but 23% had received no formal schooling. For the 0-6 months flipchart learning assessment (n = 38), the mean pretest score was 77% correct. The mean posttest 1 score improved to 87% (p < 0.0001), and the mean posttest 2 score improved further from the mean posttest 1 score to 90% (p = 0.01). For the 6-12 months flipchart learning assessment (n = 39), the mean pretest score was 78%. The mean posttest 1 score improved to 89% (p < 0.0001), and the mean posttest 2 score improved further from the mean posttest 1 score to 92% (p = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

Mothers in an impoverished region of southwestern Guatemala significantly increased their knowledge about child health topics following a short interactive group talk. Mothers further increased their knowledge two weeks after the intervention, without specific re-exposure to the intervention materials, suggesting assimilation and informal reinforcement through group based learning with other mothers in their community.

The Case for Diabetes Population Health Improvement: Evidence-Based Programming for Population Outcomes in Diabetes

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The goal of this review is to describe diabetes within a population health improvement framework and to review the evidence for a diabetes population health continuum of intervention approaches, including diabetes prevention and chronic and acute diabetes management, to improve clinical and economic outcomes.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent studies have shown that compared to usual care, lifestyle interventions in prediabetes lower diabetes risk at the population-level and that group-based programs have low incremental medial cost effectiveness ratio for health systems. Effective outpatient interventions that improve diabetes control and process outcomes are multi-level, targeting the patient, provider, and healthcare system simultaneously and integrate community health workers as a liaison between the patient and community-based healthcare resources. A multi-faceted approach to diabetes management is also effective in the inpatient setting. Interventions shown to promote safe and effective glycemic control and use of evidence-based glucose management practices include provider reminder and clinical decision support systems, automated computer order entry, provider education, and organizational change. Future studies should examine the cost-effectiveness of multi-faceted outpatient and inpatient diabetes management programs to determine the best financial models for incorporating them into diabetes population health strategies.

Impact of Diabetes Care by Pharmacists as Part of Health Care Team in Ambulatory Settings: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To conduct a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analyses examining the impact of pharmacist interventions as part of health care teams on diabetes therapeutic outcomes in ambulatory care settings.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Web of Science, Scopus, WHO's Global Health Library, ClinicalTrials.gov , and Google Scholar were searched (1995 to February 2017). Search terms included pharmacist, team, and diabetes.

STUDY SELECTION

Full-text articles published in English with comparative designs, including randomized controlled trials, nonrandomized controlled trials, and pretest-posttest studies evaluating hemoglobin A_1C (A1C), were assessed.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Two reviewers independently screened for study inclusion and extracted data. Quality of the studies was assessed using tools developed based on the framework of the Cochrane Collaboration's recommendations.

DATA SYNTHESIS

A total of 1908 studies were identified from the literature and reference searches; 42 studies were included in the systematic review (n = 10 860) and 35 in the meta-analyses (n = 7417). Mean age ranged from 42 to 73 years, and 8% to 100% were male. The overall standardized mean difference (SMD) for A1C for pharmacist care versus comparison was 0.57 ( P < 0.01), a moderate effect representing a mean difference of 1.1% (95% CI = 0.88-1.27). The effects for systolic blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were between small and moderate (SMD = 0.31 and 0.32; P < 0.01). The heterogeneity was high for all outcomes (>83%), indicating functional differences among the studies. No publication bias was detected.

CONCLUSION

Pharmacists' interventions as part of the patient's health care team improved diabetes therapeutic outcomes, substantiating the important role of pharmacists in team-based diabetes management.

Stakeholder engagement in diabetes self-management: patient preference for peer support and other insights

BACKGROUND

Self-management support (SMS) for patients with diabetes can improve adherence to treatment, mitigate disease-related distress, and improve health outcomes. Translating this evidence into real-world practice is needed, as it is not clear which SMS models are acceptable to patients, and feasible and sustainable for primary care practices.

OBJECTIVE

To use the Boot Camp Translation (BCT) method to engage patient, practice, community resource and research stakeholders in translation of evidence about SMS and diabetes distress into mutually acceptable care models and to inform patient-centred outcomes research (PCOR).

PARTICIPANTS

Twenty-seven diabetes care stakeholders, including patients and providers from a local network of federally qualified health centres participated.

METHODS

Stakeholders met in-person and by conference call over the course of 8 months. Subject matter experts provided education on the diabetes SMS evidence. Facilitators engaged the group in discussions about barriers to self-management and opportunities for improving delivery of SMS.

KEY RESULTS

BCT participants identified lack of social support, personal resources, trust, knowledge and confidence as barriers to diabetes self-management. Intervention opportunities emphasized peer support, use of multidisciplinary care teams and centralized systems for sharing information about community and practice resources. BCT informed new services and a PCOR study proposal.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients and family engaged in diabetes care research value peer support, group visits, and multidisciplinary care teams as key features of SMS models. SMS should be tailored to an individual patient's health literacy. BCT can be used to engage multiple stakeholders in translation of evidence into practice and to inform PCOR.

Collaborative Management of Neurocognitive Disorders in Primary Care: Explorations of an Attempt at Culture Change

INTRODUCTION

Minor neurocognitive disorder (MiND; previously mild cognitive impairment) is a transitional zone between normal cognitive function and early stages of major neurocognitive disorder (previously called dementia). Of people with MiND, 5% to 10% progress to major neurocognitive disorder. Simple interventions such as memory activities, balance exercises, and anti-inflammatory diets have been shown to improve cognitive ability. Also, education and support in group settings have proved beneficial for patients with MiND.

DESIGN

Survey evaluation of outcomes of geriatric consultation and prospective educational study.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

We collaborated with an academic training program to introduce into primary care the ideas of educational activities and participation in group medical care for people with MiND. Educational programs were developed and presented to family medicine residents and practicing physicians, and their knowledge was assessed before and after education.

RESULTS

Two group programs were implemented: one at our hospital and one at a local skilled nursing facility. These were initially envisioned as time-limited, but participants insisted on their continuance. Thirty-two different patients attended the groups for at least six sessions. Participants enthusiastically reported positive change on qualitative interviews and showed improvement in cognition, balance, and self-esteem. Family medicine residents and practicing physicians both shifted toward lifestyle medicine and significantly changed their views on the efficacy of treatments. Despite these activities, community physicians making referrals for geriatric consultations did not change their discussions with patients and families about exercise, diet, cognitive enhancement, and socialization for MiND.

CONCLUSION

Group visits that emphasized support for increased exercise, improved diet, more movement and balance, and cognitive enhancement appear to please and benefit patients with MiND. Physicians are more open to these approaches with training after initial skepticism. A struggle exists to convince the profession that lifestyle change may be beneficial in MiND.

A realist review of shared medical appointments: How, for whom, and under what circumstances do they work?

Background

Shared medical appointments (SMAs) are doctor-patient visits in which groups of patients are seen by one or more health care providers in a concurrent session. There is a growing interest in understanding the potential benefits of SMAs in various contexts to improve clinical outcomes and reduce healthcare costs. This study builds upon the existing evidence base that suggests SMAs are indeed effective. In this study, we explored how they are effective in terms of the underlying mechanisms of action and under what circumstances.

Methods

Realist review methodology was used to synthesize the literature on SMAs, which included a broad search of 800+ published articles. 71 high quality primary research articles were retained to build a conceptual model of SMAs and 20 of those were selected for an in depth analysis using realist methodology (i.e.,middle-range theories and and context-mechanism-outcome configurations).

Results

Nine main mechanisms that serve to explain how SMAs work were theorized from the data immersion process and configured in a series of context-mechanism-outcome configurations (CMOs). These are: (1) Group exposure in SMAs combats isolation, which in turn helps to remove doubts about one’s ability to manage illness; (2) Patients learn about disease self-management vicariously by witnessing others’ illness experiences; (3) Patients feel inspired by seeing others who are coping well; (4) Group dynamics lead patients and providers to developing more equitable relationships; (5) Providers feel increased appreciation and rapport toward colleagues leading to increased efficiency; (6) Providers learn from the patients how better to meet their patients’ needs; (7) Adequate time allotment of the SMA leads patients to feel supported; (8) Patients receive professional expertise from the provider in combination with first-hand information from peers, resulting in more robust health knowledge; and (9) Patients have the opportunity to see how the physicians interact with fellow patients, which allows them to get to know the physician and better determine their level of trust.

Conclusions

Nine overarching mechanisms were configured in CMO configurations and discussed as a set of complementary middle-range programme theories to explain how SMAs work. It is anticipated that this innovative work in theorizing SMAs using realist review methodology will provide policy makers and SMA program planners adequate conceptual grounding to design contextually sensitive SMA programs in a wide variety of settings and advance an SMA research agenda for varied contexts.

Multidisciplinary Group Behavioral and Pharmacologic Intervention for Cardiac Risk Reduction in Diabetes

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary team providing both education and medication management in a group setting for cardiac risk reduction in patients with diabetes mellitus.

METHODS

The electronic medical records of patients with diabetes who participated in group behavioral and pharmacologic interventions for cardiac risk reduction during May to October 2002 at the Providence VA Medical Center were reviewed. Forty-one veterans with diabetes mellitus attended the weekly sessions of a diabetes education and intervention program directed by pharmacists for 1 month. Two groups of 15 to 20 patients received four 1.5-hour diabetes self-management education classes provided by a multidisciplinary team consisting of a pharmacist (leader), nurse educator, dietician, physical therapist, and social worker and four 1-hour group medication adjustment sessions provided by the pharmacist. Pharmacists followed medication adjustment algorithms for blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol management previously developed in collaboration with physician specialists in the field. Baseline and 3-month after-intervention data were collected for glycosylated hemoglobin A1C (A1C), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP, respectively), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and body mass index.

RESULTS

Thirty-six patients attended 4 sessions, and 5 patients attended 3 sessions. All parameters improved after the intervention, with significant reductions in A1C (-1.5% +/- 1.0%) and DBP (-5 mm Hg). Reductions were further accentuated when baseline values were abnormal, with significant improvement in A1C (-2.0% +/- 0.5%), SBP (-14 +/- 3 mm Hg), and DBP (-13 +/- 3 mm Hg).

CONCLUSIONS

Short-term multidisciplinary group behavioral and pharmacologic intervention programs may be effective in improving cardiac risk factors in patients with diabetes.

The interdisciplinary team in type 2 diabetes management: Challenges and best practice solutions from real-world scenarios

•

Interdisciplinary teams (IDTs) should aim to implement a patient-centred approach.

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IDTs can enable improved glycaemic control and reduced cardiometabolic risk.

•

Successful IDTs require strong leadership, good communication and shared goals.

The Global Partnership for Effective Diabetes Management has previously recommended the implementation of an interdisciplinary team (IDT) approach to type 2 diabetes (T2DM) management as one of 10 practical steps for health care professionals to help more people achieve their glycaemic goal. This article discusses some of the key contributors to success and also the challenges faced when applying IDT care, by examining case studies and examples from around the world. The real-world practices discussed show that implementing successful interdisciplinary care in diabetes is possible despite significant barriers such as established hierarchal structures and financial resource constraints. Instituting collaborative, integrated working relationships among multiple disciplines under strong leadership, together with enhanced and active communication and improved patient access to appropriate specialties is essential. Patients have a crucial role in the management of their own disease and including them as part of the treatment team is also critical. IDTs in diabetes care improve patient outcomes in terms of control of glycaemia and cardiometabolic risk factors, and decreased risk of diabetes complications. Ensuring access to an appropriate IDT, in whatever form, is paramount to enable the best care to be delivered.

Feasibility and Effectiveness of System Redesign for Diabetes Care Management in Rural Areas

Purpose

Redesigning the system of care for the management of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus has not been well studied in rural communities with a significant minority population and limited health care resources. This study assesses the feasibility and potential for cost-effectiveness of restructuring care in rural fee-for-service practices for predominantly minority patients with diabetes mellitus.

Methods

This was a feasibility study of implementing case management, group visits, and electronic registry in 5 solo or small group primary care practices in rural North Carolina. The subjects were 314 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (mean age = 61 years; 72% African American; 54% female). An advanced practice nurse visited each practice weekly for 12 months, provided intensive diabetes case management, and facilitated a 4-session group visit educational program. An electronic diabetes registry and visit reminder systems were implemented.

Results

There was an improvement in the percentage of patients achieving diabetes management goals and an improvement in productivity and billable encounters. The percentage of patients with a documented self-management goal increased from 0% to 42%, a currently documented lipid panel from 55% to 76%, currently documented aspirin use from 25% to 37%, and currently documented foot examination from 12% to 54%. The average daily encounter rate improved from 20.17 to 31.55 on intervention days.

Conclusions

A redesigned care delivery system that uses case management with structured group visits and an electronic registry can be successfully incorporated into rural primary care practices and appears to significantly improve both care processes and practice productivity.

Using Group Medical Visits With Those Who Have Diabetes: Examining the Evidence

The number of people with diabetes is expected to rise to over 592 million by the year 2035. Past work provides evidence that the conventional method of primary care delivery may not meet many patients' needs. An alternative to the conventional one-on-one appointment is care offered to a group of patients through group medical visits (GMVs). Group medical visits for diabetes have a positive impact on physiologic and self-care outcomes including improved HbA1c, blood pressure control and self-management skills. Less work has examined the impacts of GMVs on systems of care; however, evidence suggests improved primary and secondary prevention strategies and the potential for GMVs to decrease emergency room visits and hospitalizations. Additional work is needed to examine the effect of GMVs on patient reported quality of life, functional health status and cost-savings. Further work is also needed on which patients GMVs work best for and patient barriers to attending GMVs.

Social Cognitive Theory in Diabetes Exercise Research: An Integrative Literature Review

PURPOSE

This integrative review critically examined the literature on diabetes research using Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) to determine its predictive ability in explaining exercise behavior and to identify key interventions that enhance exercise initiation and maintenance.

METHODS

Literature published between 1985 and 2002 was searched using the following keywords: SCT, self-efficacy, diabetes mellitus, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, physical activity, and exercise. The databases searched were CINAHL, Medline, and PsychInfo. Of the 38 articles retrieved from databases, 13 were reviewed.

RESULTS

A statistically significant relationship between self-efficacy and exercise behavior was found in correlational studies. Results from the predictive study support the predictability of self-efficacy for exercise behavior. Mixed results were found for the predictive ability of outcome expectancies for exercise behavior. Self-efficacy was predictive of exercise initiation and maintenance over time. The evidence for successful interventions to increase self-efficacy and exercise behavior over time was inconclusive.

CONCLUSIONS

To better understand exercise behavior and to develop effective exercise interventions, a microanalytic, theory-driven approach to studying exercise behavior is needed. Several suggestions are offered to strengthen exercise self-efficacy.

Little Time for Diabetes Management in the Primary Care Setting

PURPOSE

This study was conducted to determine how time is allocated to diabetes care.

METHODS

Patients with type 2 diabetes who were receiving care from the internal medicine residents were shadowed by research nurses to observe the process of management. The amount of time spent with patients and the care provided were observed and documented.

RESULTS

The total time patients spent in the clinic averaged 2 hours and 26 minutes: 1 to 9 minutes waiting, 25 minutes with the resident, and 12 minutes with medical assistants and nurses. The residents spent an average of only 5 minutes on diabetes. Glucose monitoring was addressed in 70% of visits; a history of hypoglycemia was sought in only 30%. Blood pressure values were mentioned in 75% of visits; hemoglobin A1c (A1C) values were addressed in only 40%. The need for proper foot care was discussed in 55% of visits; feet were examined in only 40%. Although 65% of patients had capillary glucose levels greater than 150 mg/dL during the visit and their A1C averaged 8.9%, therapy was intensified for only 15% of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

During a routine office visit in a resident-staffed general medicine clinic, little time is devoted to diabetes management. Given the time pressures on the primary care practitioner and the need for better diabetes care, it is essential to teach an efficient but systematic approach to diabetes care.

Sample size determinations for group-based randomized clinical trials with different levels of data hierarchy between experimental and control arms

We derived sample size formulae for detecting main effects in group-based randomized clinical trials with different levels of data hierarchy between experimental and control arms. Such designs are necessary when experimental interventions need to be administered to groups of subjects whereas control conditions need to be administered to individual subjects. This type of trial, often referred to as a partially nested or partially clustered design, has been implemented for management of chronic diseases such as diabetes and is beginning to emerge more commonly in wider clinical settings. Depending on the research setting, the level of hierarchy of data structure for the experimental arm can be three or two, whereas that for the control arm is two or one. Such different levels of data hierarchy assume correlation structures of outcomes that are different between arms, regardless of whether research settings require two or three level data structure for the experimental arm. Therefore, the different correlations should be taken into account for statistical modeling and for sample size determinations. To this end, we considered mixed-effects linear models with different correlation structures between experimental and control arms to theoretically derive and empirically validate the sample size formulae with simulation studies.

Chronic Care Initiatives for the Elderly: Can They Bridge the Gerontology-Medicine Gap?

The authors describe initiatives designed to meet the chronic health needs of the elderly. These programs include demonstration programs such as Program of All-Inclusive Care for Elderly, Social Health Maintenance Organization, and state programs for Medicare-Medicaid-eligible elders that focus on integrating medical care with home and community-based services, disease- or disability-focused care management/coordination initiatives, and recent population-based disease management programs focused on improving adherence to evidence-based protocols, self-care management, and the use of innovative practices such as group visits to improve health outcomes. These initiatives have the potential to improve outcomes and reduce costs, but also highlight tensions between medical model disease management and functionally oriented home and community service programs. The authors suggest that optimal chronic care for elders would require the integration of advances in medically oriented disease management with the best of home and community-based service programs. Medicare policy should promote such integration.

Listening to Their Words: A Qualitative Analysis of Integrative Medicine Group Visits in an Urban Underserved Medical Setting

OBJECTIVE

Integrative Medicine Group Visits (IMGVs) are an 8-week outpatient medical group visit program for chronic pain patients combining mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), integrative medicine, and patient education. The authors conducted a qualitative study with IMGV participants to better understand the effects of IMGVs on patients' health.

DESIGN

This qualitative study enrolled a convenience sample of 19 participants from the parent prospective observational cohort study of IMGVs (n = 65). All participants in the parent study were invited to participate.

SETTING

Boston Medical Center (BMC) is a private, not-for-profit, 496-bed, academic medical center and the largest safety net hospital in New England.

SUBJECTS

Individuals in this study had a diagnosis of chronic pain and/or one or more chronic conditions (e.g., diabetes, depression, or metabolic syndrome), had attended ≥1 group visit, and their 8-week session had ended before completing the interview.

METHODS

The authors conducted individual semi-structured interviews. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed, and analyzed.

RESULTS

Participants cite gains from IMGVs including improved self-monitoring, self-regulation, and increased mindfulness. The group setting leads patients to feel "not alone" in their health conditions, gain a sense of perspective on their health, and share coping strategies in a supportive network. These improvements in physical and mental health improved clinical outcomes for participants including reductions in pain.

CONCLUSIONS

Group visits and integrative medicine both offer some potential solutions in the treatment of chronic pain. Models such as IMGVs can help individuals living with chronic conditions, addressing their emotional and physical health needs.

Study protocol of "CHAPS": a randomized controlled trial protocol of Care Coordination for Health Promotion and Activities in Parkinson's Disease to improve the quality of care for individuals with Parkinson's disease

BACKGROUND

Parkinson's disease, the second most common neurodegenerative disease, is diagnostically defined by motor impairments, but also includes often under-recognized impairments in cognition, mood, sleep, and the autonomic nervous system. These problems can severely affect individuals' quality of life. In our prior research, we have developed indicators to measure the quality of care delivered to patients with Parkinson's disease, and we identified gaps in delivering evidence-based treatments for this population. Effective strategies to close these gaps are needed to improve patient quality of life.

METHODS/DESIGN

Building on prior research we developed a multi-faceted proactive implementation program called Care Coordination for Health Promotion and Activities in Parkinson's Disease (CHAPS). To be eligible, patients had to have at least two visits with a primary diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (ICD-9 code: 332.0) at one of five Veterans Affairs Medical Centers in the southwestern United States from 2010 to 2014. The program consists of telephone assessments, evidence-based protocols, and tools to enhance patient self-management, care planning, and coordination of care across providers, including an electronic database to support and track coordination of care. Our mixed-methods study employs a randomized, controlled trial design to test whether the CHAPS intervention improves performance in 38 quality measures among an analytic sample of 346 patients. The 38 quality measures are categorized into overarching areas of communication, education, and continuity; regulatory reporting; diagnosis; periodic assessment; medication use; management of motor and non-motor symptoms; use of non-pharmacological approaches and therapies; palliative care; and health maintenance. Secondary outcomes are patient health-related quality of life, self-efficacy, and perceptions of care quality. We are also evaluating the extent of the CHAPS Program implementation and measuring program costs and impacts on health services utilization, in order to perform a analysis of the CHAPS program from the perspective of the Veterans Health Administration (VA). Outcomes are assessed by interviewer-administered surveys collected at baseline and at 6, 12, and 18 months, and by medical record chart abstractions. Analyses will be intention-to-treat.

DISCUSSION

The CHAPS Program is poised for dissemination within the VA National Parkinson's Disease Research, Education, and Clinical Center Consortium if demonstrated efficacious.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01532986; registered on January 13, 2012.

Study protocol of "CHAPS": a randomized controlled trial protocol of Care Coordination for Health Promotion and Activities in Parkinson's Disease to improve the quality of care for individuals with Parkinson's disease

BACKGROUND

Parkinson's disease, the second most common neurodegenerative disease, is diagnostically defined by motor impairments, but also includes often under-recognized impairments in cognition, mood, sleep, and the autonomic nervous system. These problems can severely affect individuals' quality of life. In our prior research, we have developed indicators to measure the quality of care delivered to patients with Parkinson's disease, and we identified gaps in delivering evidence-based treatments for this population. Effective strategies to close these gaps are needed to improve patient quality of life.

METHODS/DESIGN

Building on prior research we developed a multi-faceted proactive implementation program called Care Coordination for Health Promotion and Activities in Parkinson's Disease (CHAPS). To be eligible, patients had to have at least two visits with a primary diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (ICD-9 code: 332.0) at one of five Veterans Affairs Medical Centers in the southwestern United States from 2010 to 2014. The program consists of telephone assessments, evidence-based protocols, and tools to enhance patient self-management, care planning, and coordination of care across providers, including an electronic database to support and track coordination of care. Our mixed-methods study employs a randomized, controlled trial design to test whether the CHAPS intervention improves performance in 38 quality measures among an analytic sample of 346 patients. The 38 quality measures are categorized into overarching areas of communication, education, and continuity; regulatory reporting; diagnosis; periodic assessment; medication use; management of motor and non-motor symptoms; use of non-pharmacological approaches and therapies; palliative care; and health maintenance. Secondary outcomes are patient health-related quality of life, self-efficacy, and perceptions of care quality. We are also evaluating the extent of the CHAPS Program implementation and measuring program costs and impacts on health services utilization, in order to perform a analysis of the CHAPS program from the perspective of the Veterans Health Administration (VA). Outcomes are assessed by interviewer-administered surveys collected at baseline and at 6, 12, and 18 months, and by medical record chart abstractions. Analyses will be intention-to-treat.

DISCUSSION

The CHAPS Program is poised for dissemination within the VA National Parkinson's Disease Research, Education, and Clinical Center Consortium if demonstrated efficacious.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01532986; registered on January 13, 2012.

What is the evidence for the effectiveness, appropriateness and feasibility of group clinics for patients with chronic conditions? A systematic review

Background

Group clinics are a form of delivering specialist-led care in groups rather than in individual consultations.

Objective

To examine the evidence for the use of group clinics for patients with chronic health conditions.

Design

A systematic review of evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) supplemented by qualitative studies, cost studies and UK initiatives.

Data sources

We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature from 1999 to 2014. Systematic reviews and RCTs were eligible for inclusion. Additional searches were performed to identify qualitative studies, studies reporting costs and evidence specific to UK settings.

Review methods

Data were extracted for all included systematic reviews, RCTs and qualitative studies using a standardised form. Quality assessment was performed for systematic reviews, RCTs and qualitative studies. UK studies were included regardless of the quality or level of reporting. Tabulation of the extracted data informed a narrative synthesis. We did not attempt to synthesise quantitative data through formal meta-analysis. However, given the predominance of studies of group clinics for diabetes, using common biomedical outcomes, this subset was subject to quantitative analysis.

Results

Thirteen systematic reviews and 22 RCT studies met the inclusion criteria. These were supplemented by 12 qualitative papers (10 studies), four surveys and eight papers examining costs. Thirteen papers reported on 12 UK initiatives. With 82 papers covering 69 different studies, this constituted the most comprehensive coverage of the evidence base to date. Disease-specific outcomes – the large majority of RCTs examined group clinic approaches to diabetes. Other conditions included hypertension/heart failure and neuromuscular conditions. The most commonly measured outcomes for diabetes were glycated haemoglobin A1c(HbA1c), blood pressure and cholesterol. Group clinic approaches improved HbA1cand improved systolic blood pressure but did not improve low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. A significant effect was found for disease-specific quality of life in a few studies. No other outcome measure showed a consistent effect in favour of group clinics. Recent RCTs largely confirm previous findings. Health services outcomes – the evidence on costs and feasibility was equivocal. No rigorous evaluation of group clinics has been conducted in a UK setting. A good-quality qualitative study from the UK highlighted factors such as the physical space and a flexible appointment system as being important to patients. The views and attitudes of those who dislike group clinic provision are poorly represented. Little attention has been directed at the needs of people from ethnic minorities. The review team identified significant weaknesses in the included research. Potential selection bias limits the generalisability of the results. Many patients who could potentially be included do not consent to the group approach. Attendance is often interpreted liberally.

Limitations

This telescoped review, conducted within half the time period of a conventional systematic review, sought breadth in covering feasibility, appropriateness and meaningfulness in addition to effectiveness and cost-effectiveness and utilised several rapid-review methods. It focused on the contribution of recently published evidence from RCTs to the existing evidence base. It did not reanalyse trials covered in previous reviews. Following rapid review methods, we did not perform independent double data extraction and quality assessment.

Conclusions

Although there is consistent and promising evidence for an effect of group clinics for some biomedical measures, this effect does not extend across all outcomes. Much of the evidence was derived from the USA. It is important to engage with UK stakeholders to identify NHS considerations relating to the implementation of group clinic approaches.

Future work

The review team identified three research priorities: (1) more UK-centred evaluations using rigorous research designs and economic models with robust components; (2) clearer delineation of individual components within different models of group clinic delivery; and (3) clarification of the circumstances under which group clinics present an appropriate alternative to an individual consultation.

Funding

The National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme.

Group visits in the pediatric heart transplant outpatient clinic

The "GVM" has emerged as an alternative to traditional individualized appointments in the ambulatory care setting. We hypothesized that group visits could successfully be utilized in a PHtx clinic. Seven patients, ages 1-18 yr old, and their families participated in a total of 11 group visits in lieu of individualized appointments. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether they were greater or less than one yr post-transplant. Patient/provider satisfaction, medication adherence, and content retention were ascertained via questionnaires and free-response tests. Total clinic throughput time, including per-patient clinic utilization time, was compared to historical data. Six of seven patients completed the study with one dropout. Overall satisfaction ratings were 3.98 of 4 with all patients reporting that they would "strongly recommend" group visits to others. Health information retention tests demonstrated improvement between pre- and post-tests in eight of nine (89%) of the group visits. Overall clinic utilization decreased by nearly 50% while providing 70 min of face-to-face time with the provider. Medication adherence neared 100% for all patients. The GVM can be successfully applied to the PHtx population with high patient and provider satisfaction, more face-to-face time, excellent content retention, and greatly improved clinic efficiency.

Effect of Group Medical Appointments on Glycemic Control of Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

Rationale. To evaluate the effectiveness of group medical appointments (GMAs) for patients with type 2 diabetes. Objective. To compare A1C levels of patients participating in GMAs to those of patients who received usual primary care. Design and methods. This study was a retrospective electronic chart review comparing GMA care for 52 male patients to usual primary care for 52 male patients. Demographic (age, marital status, and ethnicity/race) and health-related (height, weight, BMI, duration of diabetes, use of alcohol and tobacco, and A1C) variables were analyzed. Results. A greater proportion of GMA patients (50%) versus usual primary care patients (19.2%) reached target A1C goals (P = 0.001). GMA participants also had a significantly faster rate of decline in A1C over time compared to usual primary care patients (P < 0.001). Conclusion. This study demonstrated that the concept of medical management delivered in a group approach had a positive effect on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. GMAs were found to be an effective approach to achieving patient-centered goals for improving the glycemic control of patients with type 2 diabetes.

The impact of interventions on appointment and clinical outcomes for individuals with diabetes: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Successful diabetes disease management involves routine medical care with individualized patient goals, self-management education and on-going support to reduce complications. Without interventions that facilitate patient scheduling, improve attendance to provider appointments and provide patient information to provider and care team, preventive services cannot begin. This review examines interventions based upon three focus areas: 1) scheduling the patient with their provider; 2) getting the patient to their appointment, and; 3) having patient information integral to their diabetes care available to the provider. This study identifies interventions that improve appointment management and preparation as well as patient clinical and behavioral outcomes.

METHODS

A systematic review of the literature was performed using MEDLINE, CINAHL and the Cochrane library. Only articles in English and peer-reviewed articles were chosen. A total of 77 articles were identified that matched the three focus areas of the literature review: 1) on the schedule, 2) to the visit, and 3) patient information. These focus areas were utilized to analyze the literature to determine intervention trends and identify those with improved diabetes clinical and behavioral outcomes.

RESULTS

The articles included in this review were published between 1987 and 2013, with 46 of them published after 2006. Forty-two studies considered only Type 2 diabetes, 4 studies considered only Type 1 diabetes, 15 studies considered both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, and 16 studies did not mention the diabetes type. Thirty-five of the 77 studies in the review were randomized controlled studies. Interventions that facilitated scheduling patients involved phone reminders, letter reminders, scheduling when necessary while monitoring patients, and open access scheduling. Interventions used to improve attendance were letter reminders, phone reminders, short message service (SMS) reminders, and financial incentives. Interventions that enabled routine exchange of patient information included web-based programs, phone calls, SMS, mail reminders, decision support systems linked to evidence-based treatment guidelines, registries integrated with electronic medical records, and patient health records.

CONCLUSIONS

The literature review showed that simple phone and letter reminders for scheduling or prompting of the date and time of an appointment to more complex web-based multidisciplinary programs with patient self-management can have a positive impact on clinical and behavioral outcomes for diabetes patients. Multifaceted interventions aimed at appointment management and preparation during various phases of the medical outpatient care process improves diabetes disease management.

"You Can Lead a Horse to Water …": Focus Group Perspectives on Initiating and Supporting Hearing Health Change in Older Adults

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to use focus group discussions to (a) evaluate the use of an educational presentation as an impetus for hearing health change and (b) investigate hearing health from the perspective of older adults.

METHOD

Twenty-seven (4 men, 23 women) community-dwelling older adults attended 4 data collection events. Participants attended a presentation titled Hearing Health in Older Adults, which was delivered by a trained presenter in a peer-teaching-peer format. Following each presentation, a focus group discussion took place. Digital audio recordings, field notes, and memos of the discussions were used to create verbatim transcripts. Data were analyzed using qualitative description and thematic analysis techniques.

RESULTS

Five central themes emerged when older adult focus groups discussed the presentation and hearing health change: recognizing and admitting, understanding the options, sharing stories and experiences, barriers and facilitators, and the presentation.

CONCLUSION

Facilitators to hearing health change identified by participants include widespread education about hearing health; clarification about roles, professional motivation, and cost in hearing care; and opportunities to learn from and share personal stories with peers.

Impact of an integrated model of care on potentially preventable hospitalizations for people with Type 2 diabetes mellitus

AIMS

To evaluate the impact of an integrated model of care for patients with complex Type 2 diabetes mellitus on potentially preventable hospitalizations.

METHODS

A prospective controlled trial was conducted comparing a multidisciplinary, community-based, integrated primary-secondary care diabetes service with usual care at a hospital diabetes outpatient clinic. Study and hospital admissions data were linked for the period from 12 months before to 24 months after commencement of the trial. The primary outcome was the number of potentially preventable hospitalizations with diabetes-related principal diagnoses. Length of stay once hospitalized was also reported.

RESULTS

Of 327 adult participants, 206 were hospitalized and accounted for 667 admissions during the study period. Compared with the usual care group, patients in the integrated model of care group were nearly half as likely to be hospitalized for a potentially preventable diabetes-related principal diagnosis in the 24 months after study commencement (incidence rate ratio 0.53, 95% CI 0.29, 0.96; P = 0.04). The magnitude of the result remained similar after adjusting for age, sex, education and baseline HbA1c concentration (incidence rate ratio 0.54, 95% CI 0.29, 1.01; P = 0.05).When hospitalized, patients in the integrated care group had a similar length of stay compared with those in the usual care group (median difference -2 days, 95% CI -6.5, 2.3; P = 0.33).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients receiving the integrated model of care had a reduction in the number of hospitalizations when the principal diagnosis for admission was a diabetes-related complication. Integrated models of care for people with complex diabetes can reduce hospitalizations and help attempts to curtail increasing demand on finite health services.

Nurse-led behavioral management of diabetes and hypertension in community practices: a randomized trial

BACKGROUND

Several trials have demonstrated the efficacy of nurse telephone case management for diabetes (DM) and hypertension (HTN) in academic or vertically integrated systems. Little is known about the real-world potency of these interventions.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the effectiveness of nurse behavioral management of DM and HTN in community practices among patients with both diseases.

DESIGN

The study was designed as a patient-level randomized controlled trial.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants included adult patients with both type 2 DM and HTN who were receiving care at one of nine community fee-for-service practices. Subjects were required to have inadequately controlled DM (hemoglobin A1c [A1c] ≥ 7.5%) but could have well-controlled HTN.

INTERVENTIONS

All patients received a call from a nurse experienced in DM and HTN management once every two months over a period of two years, for a total of 12 calls. Intervention patients received tailored DM- and HTN- focused behavioral content; control patients received non-tailored, non-interactive information regarding health issues unrelated to DM and HTN (e.g., skin cancer prevention).

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and A1c were co-primary outcomes, measured at 6, 12, and 24 months; 24 months was the primary time point.

RESULTS

Three hundred seventy-seven subjects were enrolled; 193 were randomized to intervention, 184 to control. Subjects were 55% female and 50% white; the mean baseline A1c was 9.1% (SD = 1%) and mean SBP was 142 mmHg (SD = 20). Eighty-two percent of scheduled interviews were conducted; 69% of intervention patients and 70% of control patients reached the 24-month time point. Expressing model estimated differences as (intervention--control), at 24 months, intervention patients had similar A1c [diff = 0.1 %, 95 % CI (-0.3, 0.5), p = 0.51] and SBP [diff = -0.9 mmHg, 95% CI (-5.4, 3.5), p = 0.68] values compared to control patients. Likewise, DBP (diff = 0.4 mmHg, p = 0.76), weight (diff = 0.3 kg, p = 0.80), and physical activity levels (diff = 153 MET-min/week, p = 0.41) were similar between control and intervention patients. Results were also similar at the 6- and 12-month time points.

CONCLUSIONS

In nine community fee-for-service practices, telephonic nurse case management did not lead to improvement in A1c or SBP. Gains seen in telephonic behavioral self-management interventions in optimal settings may not translate to the wider range of primary care settings.