title: A pragmatic comparison of two diabetes education programs in improving type 2 diabetes mellitus outcomes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although it is clear that education programs constitute key elements of improved diabetes management, uncertainty exists regarding the optimal method of delivering that education. In addition to the lack of consensus regarding the most appropriate delivery methods for these programs, there is a paucity of research which evaluates these methods in terms of specific clinical outcomes. This pragmatic study compares the effectiveness of two distinct diabetes education programs in improving clinical outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in a primary care setting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The two diabetes education classes (n = 80 enrolled) retrospectively evaluated were 'the ABC's of Diabetes' (one 2-hour didactic teaching session) and 'Conversation Maps' (3 highly interactive weekly classes, 6 hours in total). Eligible participants (n = 32) had their charts reviewed and outcome measures (i.e., glycosylated hemoglobin levels (HbA1c), low density lipoprotein (LDL), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and weight) recorded 1 year prior to and 6 months following the class. Pre- and post-class outcome measures were compared. A trend towards lower HbA1c was observed after completion of both classes, with an average reduction of 0.2%, and 0.6% after 6 months in the 'ABC's of Diabetes' class and 'Conversation Maps' class respectively. A significant decrease in weight was observed 6 months after the 'ABC's of Diabetes' class (p = 0.028), and in LDL after the 'Conversation Maps' class (p = 0.049). Patients with HbA1c ≥ 8% showed a drop of 1.1% in HbA1c 3 months after either class (p = 0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No significant difference in outcomes was found between the two diabetes education classes assessed. There was a trend towards improved glycemic control after both classes, and patients with high HbA1c levels demonstrated statistically significant improvements. This indicates that shorter sessions using didactic teaching methods may be equally effective in producing improvements in diabetes self-management as more intensive course formats.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dorland
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa Hospital Riverside Campus, 1967 Riverside Drive, Ottawa, ON K1H 7 W9, Canada. cliddy@bruyere.org.
authors.forename: Clare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liddy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001835:Body Weight; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D019468:Disease Management; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human