title: Shared medical appointments in a residency clinic: an exploratory study among Hispanics with diabetes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of shared medical appointments (SMAs) among Hispanic patients with diabetes mellitus attending a family medicine residency clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Exploratory and descriptive study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hispanic patients having diabetes with poor glycemic control (glycated hemoglobin level, >7%) attending a family medicine residency clinic were randomized to an SMA group (n = 50) or a control group (n = 53).The main outcome was glycated hemoglobin level. Secondary outcomes were quality of life and diabetes knowledge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When comparing pre-post measures, there were mean decreases in glycated hemoglobin level of 1.19% for the SMA group (P <.01) and 0.67% for the control group (P = .02).In the SMA group, quality-of-life and diabetes knowledge scores increased by 5 and 1.5 points, respectively (P <.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Implementing SMAs is feasible and effective among Hispanic patients with diabetes attending a family medicine residency clinic.Health plan managers and policy makers can work with family medicine residents to encourage the use of this model as an alternative approach or in addition to conventional one-on-one interactions with patients.
authors.affiliation: Clinica Mi Doctor, 3144 Bloomfield Ct, Plano, TX 75093, USA. gugis@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gutierrez
authors.forename: Nora E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Gimple
authors.forename: Florence J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Dallo
authors.forename: Barbara M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: Emeka J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Ohagi
mesh_terms: D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D003657:Decision Making; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy; D019468:Disease Management; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000379:methods*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin