Translational research principles of an effectiveness trial for diabetes care in an urban African American population.
Large-scale effectiveness trials designed to translate evidence-based diabetes care to community settings are few. Studies describing these methods among high-risk minority populations are particularly limited.



The authors describe Project Sugar, a randomized controlled trial conducted in 2 phases: Project Sugar 1 (1994-1999), which piloted a 4-arm clinic and home-based intervention using nurse case management and community health workers in 186 urban African Americans with type 2 diabetes, and Project Sugar 2 (2000-2005), which examined effectiveness of this intervention among 542 diabetic, urban African Americans. Results and Conclusions Project Sugar had success with regard to recruitment and retention, both in phase 1 (80% rate at 24 months) and phase 2 (>90% at 24 months). Using the RE-AIM framework, planning and research design for Project Sugar 2 is described in detail for elements that contributed to the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance of this study within a minority community setting. In addition to successful strategies, challenges to conducting effectiveness trials in an inner-city African American community are identified.
Gary
Tiffany L
TL
The Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland (Dr Gary, Dr Brancati)
Hill-Briggs
Felicia
F
The Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (Dr Hill-Briggs, Ms Batts-Turner, Dr Brancati).
Batts-Turner
Marian
M
The Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (Dr Hill-Briggs, Ms Batts-Turner, Dr Brancati).
Brancati
Frederick L
FL
The Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland (Dr Gary, Dr Brancati)|The Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (Dr Hill-Briggs, Ms Batts-Turner, Dr Brancati).
D044383:Black People; D003152:Community Health Nursing; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000451:nursing / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008396:Maryland; D008913:Minority Groups; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012648:Self Care; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014505:Urban Population; D001741:Black or African American