title: A Pharmacy Student-Facilitated Interprofessional Diabetes Clinic With the Penobscot Nation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  American Indians/Alaska Natives have a greater increased risk for diabetes than non-Hispanic whites. Lifestyle interventions are effective in preventing and treating diabetes, and an interprofessional approach is important in diabetes management.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The Penobscot Nation has a health center with a wide range of services. Our goal with the Nation was to 1) establish an interprofessional, student-facilitated diabetes clinic in the health center; 2) assess the clinic's preliminary impact.
  
  
  METHODS
  Relationship building and problem solving was instrumental in working toward the first goal. A survey was developed to assess satisfaction with the clinic. The clinical outcomes, mean and median values of HbA1c, were calculated at baseline (spring 2013) and were used to establish 2 groups of patients: those with controlled levels (<7%) and those with uncontrolled levels (≥ 7%). HbA1c was reassessed in fall 2013. Changes in HbA1c were calculated and compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The student-facilitated, interprofessional diabetes clinic has operated for 2 years, and changes are under way. More than 90% of participants reported being well satisfied with the clinic in the first year. Among the group with uncontrolled HbA1c (n = 18), mean HbA1c values declined from 9.3% to 7.6% (P = .004). Among the group with controlled HbA1c (n = 30), 83% were controlled at follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Penobscot diabetes clinic is evolving to meet the needs of community members, and pharmacy students have an interprofessional practice site well suited for experiential learning.
authors.affiliation: Husson University, School of Pharmacy, 1 College Circle, Bangor, ME 04401. Email: martinsar@husson.edu.
authors.forename: Sarah Levin
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Husson University School of Pharmacy, Bangor, Maine.
authors.forename: Evan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Penobscot Nation Health Center, Indian Island, Maine.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Huerth
authors.affiliation: Husson University School of Pharmacy, Bangor, Maine.
authors.forename: J Daniel
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000592:standards*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000208:ethnology; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008019:Life Style; D008281:Maine / Q000208:ethnology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D013339:Students, Pharmacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin