title: CoDE: Community Diabetes Education for uninsured Mexican Americans.
abstract: Low-cost diabetes education programs that target Mexican Americans are essential to reduce the observed health disparities in this population. A culturally appropriate intervention was developed as the centerpiece of the Community Diabetes Education (CoDE) program. This article describes the structure, patient acceptance, and costs of this one-to-one educational model delivered in 7 patient contact hours by a community health worker over 12 months in a community clinic serving the uninsured. A total of 162 patients-predominantly female, Spanish-speaking Mexican American patients with type 2 diabetes of mean duration of 6.5 years-enrolled in the program, and a dropout rate of 22% was observed during the 12-month period. Preliminary analysis indicated that program capacity was 120 patients per month, and the annual direct medical expenditure per CoDE participant was $461. The hemoglobin A(1c) was significantly reduced in patients who participated in the program for 12 months. Sustainable, low-cost, community-based programs like CoDE and long-term patient participation will help reduce the burden of diabetes in the underserved Hispanic population.
authors: Health Research and Educational Trust, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors: Dan
authors: D
authors: Culica
authors: James W
authors: JW
authors: Walton
authors: Elizabeth A
authors: EA
authors: Prezio