Meredith Lewis, UAB Huntsville Family Medicine Residency, Huntsville, AL (USA)
Kaaren Royster, Alabama A&M University, Huntsville, AL (USA)

Diabetes is a major health issue. In the U.S. alone, there are 30 million patients affected with diabetes. This poster will highlight the impact of offering diabetes education groups to patients and how they were pivotal for motivating patients and offering accountability.

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Presentation Description:

Diabetes continues to be a major health issue. In the US alone, there are 30 million patients affected with diabetes and about one in four of them are unaware. Up to 95% of all diabetic cases are Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). Risk factors for T2DM include visceral obesity, age > 45 years old, family history, race (African American, Hispanic American and Asian American) and physical activity

Methods: In July 2015, Family Medicine Center began offering diabetes education groups to patients. The group included resident physicians and pharmacy staff. Social work staff works as the gatekeepers managing the group referrals ordered by Family Medicine Physicians using the electronic medical record. The monthly group schedule is emailed to physicians to reinforce referral options for patients. Each patient referred to a group is mailed an invitation letter. The letter includes details about the group to include meeting time, location, and the assigned staff for the group. Lastly, to recruit for a group, patients receive a reminder call about 48 hours before the group day. Patients were educated in a group setting on multiple factors that influence their diabetes including healthy eating habits, physical activity, and T2DM pharmacotherapy. During the class, we used the plate method to interact with patients about how to improve their eating habits to ensure a well-balanced diet and proper carbohydrate consumption. We informed patients on physical activity goals to help reduce weight, maintain healthy glucose levels, and improve their overall health. This was achieved by reviewing the pathophysiology of diabetes, the complications of uncontrolled diabetes, symptoms of hyper- and hypoglycemia, and proper preventative measures (foot care, eye care, and remaining up to date on vaccines) with the class. All information was provided in patient-friendly terms to ensure complete understanding.

Results & Discussion: Since 2015, 68% of patients referred to a diabetic group attended with a total of 132 encounters. Engagement for group attendance starts with effective communication. Effective communication is the ability of healthcare providers to clearly articulate the task or recommendation to be completed by the patient (Mehl, 2019). Education in a group setting was pivotal for motivating patients and offering accountability. Barriers identified for patients included introverted patients being overshadowed by extroverted patients during the group session. Other barriers included obstacles in attending the group session itself, such as transportation issues or other obligations (i.e. work).

References:

• Diabetes. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 6 Aug 2019. Retrieved from https://cdc.gov/diabetes
• Mehl, A. (2019). How to Communicate Effectively. Retrieved from https://thestoryexchange.org

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