Medical Care, Education, Social Support, And Goal-setting to Empower Self-management for Diabetes

Diabetes group visits, shared appointments where patients receive self-management education in a group setting and have a medical visit, are a promising way to deliver high quality diabetes care. Group visits can improve glycemic control and decrease healthcare utilization. To date, no studies have systematically implemented a diabetes group visit intervention in a network of U.S. community health centers. The University of Chicago is partnering with Midwest Clinicians' Network (MWCN), a member organization of 130 health centers across ten Midwestern states. Approximately half of all Federally Qualified Health Centers in this region are affiliated with MWCN. The objectives of the study are \[1\] providers and staff at 20 health centers will have the requisite knowledge, skills, and motivation to implement a diabetes group visit plus text messaging intervention at their sites; \[2\] changes in diabetes processes of care; knowledge, attitudes, and skills for diabetes self-management; clinical outcomes; and health care utilization for patients participating in the diabetes group visit program will be evaluated; and \[3\] the diabetes group visit program will be available for dissemination among and use by health centers and healthcare providers at the local, state, regional, and national levels.