A 3-month pilot of language-concordant group medical visits for Spanish-speaking patients with diabetes resulted in a non-significant HbA1c change of -1.2% (p=0.49).
Observational (n=7)
No
Do language-concordant group medical visits improve glycemic control and patient experience in Spanish-speaking patients with diabetes?
A pilot program of language-concordant group medical visits for Spanish-speaking patients with diabetes was well-received and had high attendance, though it did not significantly improve overall HbA1c at 3 months.
p-value: p=0.49
Introduction and Objective: Group medical visits (GMVs) have demonstrated improved diabetes outcomes compared to traditional 1:1 patient visits; however, the impact of language-concordant GMVs among patients with diabetes remains understudied. This study evaluated the impact of a diabetes-focused GMV pilot among Spanish-speaking patients in a primary care clinic. Methods: Spanish-speaking patients with diabetes invited to join the pilot program. Five, two-hour, bi-weekly GMVs occurred over a three-month period. Each session combined medical care, culturally-tailored education, and peer support. Sessions were facilitated by a Spanish-speaking physician and health educator. Retrospective data review assessed demographics, attendance rate, HbA1c, and participant feedback. Results: The study population (n=7, 57% female had a mean age of 50.7 +/- 5.9 years). One patient was excluded due to loss to follow up after one session. Average baseline HbA1c was 9.33% (+/- 2.07%). Six patients had a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and one had type 1 diabetes. Of the 6/7 who participated in at least two GMV sessions, attendance was 76.6%, higher than clinic baseline of 71%. Three patients demonstrated improved glycemic control; HbA1c decrease of -1.2% (p = 0.49). Participants highlighted clear diabetes education, strong peer support, and increased confidence as programmatic strengths. Six out of 7 described meaningful behavior changes and a strong desire for the groups to continue. Conclusion: Preliminary findings suggest this care model is effective for and welcomed by Spanish-speaking patients with diabetes. This small pilot did not identify a significant improvement in overall HbA1c at 3 months, but improvement in 3/7 participants suggests potential for significant improvement with a larger group or longer duration. Higher-than-average visit attendance and patient feedback supported continued clinic-level implementation. As a result of this pilot, a monthly GMV model is has been adopted with ongoing data collection evaluating clinical outcomes and patient experiences. Disclosure M. McKnight: None. L. Paredes Acosta: None. P. Johnson: Other - independent pump trainer; Current; Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc. Other - diabetes and technology interest group chair, planning committee for DIP DIPA, MDTW moderator and presenter for webinars; Current; American Diabetes Association. Other - possible support for pilot studies in the future-funding and sample; Current; dexcom. Speaker's Bureau; Current; Spotlight AQ. J. Valente: None. J. Eckelbarger: None. K. Richardson: None.
MCKNIGHT et al. (Fri,) conducted a observational in Diabetes (n=7). Language-concordant group medical visits was evaluated on HbA1c (p=0.49). A 3-month pilot of language-concordant group medical visits for Spanish-speaking patients with diabetes resulted in a non-significant HbA1c change of -1.2% (p=0.49).
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