Group patient education: effectiveness of a brief intervention in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus in primary health care in Greece: a clinically controlled trial

Abstract

This study aims to assess the impact of a brief patient group education intervention in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The sample, 193 people with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were patients at the diabetic clinic of a primary health care setting in Attica, was assigned to two groups, intervention (138 individuals) and control group (55 individuals). The intervention group, instead of receiving standard care, attended a structured group educational programme using Conversation Maps while the control group had standard care. The main outcome measures were HbA1c, body mass index (BMI), triglycerides, high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), measured at baseline and 6 months after the intervention. After 6 months, significant differences in changes of the studied parameters were observed between the groups in HbA1c, 1.4 (95% CI: 1.1, 1.7), (P < 0.001) and HDL -4.4 (95% CI: -8.1, -0.8), (P < 0.001) in favour of group education. Within the groups, the intervention group presented a significant reduction in HbA1c, -0.6 (95% CI: -0.8, -0.3), (P < 0.001), in BMI, -0.7 (95% CI: -0.9, -0.1), (P = 0.007), in triglycerides, -21.1 (95% CI: -47.1, -9.9), (P = 0.003) and LDL, -10.0 (95% CI: -22.5, -5.7), (P < 0.001), while in the control group significant reductions were observed in HbA1c, -0.5 (95% CI: -0.5, -0.3), (P = 0.003), in HLD, -4.1 (95% CI: -7.7, -2.3), (P = 0.001) and in LDL, -9.4 (95% CI: -19.9, -3.9), (P = 0.018). Group-based patient education using Conversation Maps for people with type 2 diabetes is more effective, compared with individual education, in diabetes self-management.

Educational Interventions and Glycemic Control: Integrative Review

“…The prevalent language was English, found in 10 of the 11 papers Articles included in the final review n = 11 BDENF: n = 0 Lilacs: n = 1 (20) Medline: n = 7 (16,17,18,19,21,22,25) Scielo: n = 0 Eric: n = 3 (15,23,24) PsycINFO: n = 0 Glycemic control; daily activities for glucose control; stress management.…”

“…As for design, we identified 5 randomized controlled trials [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22], 1 cohort study [23], 1 before-after research study [24], and 1 quasiexperimental study with a control group [25]. All studies used disease knowledge strategies, which is reflected in the completion of some works as of patient empowerment, self-care ability and self-monitoring of blood glucose, improved foot care and bettered quality of life, as it can be seen in Table 1.…”

“…Regarding journals, 2 papers were published in Health As to the participants of the selected studies, one study only included patients with DM type I [14][15][16] and another study included both patients with DM type I and type II [13]. The remaining studies included only patients with DM type II.…”

“…The IG also had better control of their fasting glucose and total cholesterol than those in the control group. [ 15,16,18,22,24]. The study of Dettori et al [23], which was performed in a rural area, consisted in many ways of intervention, including phone calls, e-mails, newsletters, education group workshops and provision of material on diabetes at a local library, while Varney et al [21] made use of phone calls only.…”

“…The follow-up time of each study was varied: 36 months (23); 24 months (19); 14 months (22); 12 months (18,21,24); 9 months (25) and 6 months (15)(16)(17)20).…”