Diabetes Conversation Maps: Journey To Better Diabetes Education
Diabetes Conversation Maps: Journey To Better Diabetes Education
Diabetes Conversation Maps: Journey To Better Diabetes Education
Background
Diabetes for Life (DFL), a project of the Healthy Memphis Common Table and Memphis Healthy Churches, is a self-management program aimed at reducing health disparities among African Americans with Type II diabetes in Memphis and Shelby County. This program is one of ve national sites that constitute The Alliance to Reduce Disparities in Diabetes; a ve-year grant funded initiative of The Merck Foundation.1 Each site is charged with developing a multilevel intervention with patient education as a central component of the strategy. The DFL uses the Diabetes Conversation map as an education tool, which incorporates evidence-based approaches to assist patients with diabetes disease self-management. This project indenties and implements best practice models for evidenced-based chronic disease self-management.
The U. S. Diabetes Conversation Map education program was created by Healthy Interactions in collaboration with American Diabetes Association and sponsored by Merck and Company.2 Key components to support the learning process: 1) Conversation Map Visual, 2) Conversation Questions, 3) Conversation Cards, 4) Group Interaction, 5) Facilitation, and 6) Action Plan Conversation Map Visuals included in the U. S. Diabetes Conversation Program: 1. On the Road to Better Managing Your Diabetes 2. Monitoring Your Blood Glucose 3. Continuing Your Journey with Diabetes 4. Diabetes and Healthy Eating Class Composition: Group education sessions facilitated by a Certied Diabetes Educator (CDE). Three 2-hour sessions over a 3 week period (one session per week), using one of the rst three different Conversation Map visuals. Diabetes and Healthy Eating, the fourth visual, was conducted the last thirty minutes of each session taught by a Registered and Licensed Dietitian; Participants are instructed in an open forum on making Action Plans to set and reach self-management goals.
Project Team Dr. Beverly J. Williams-Cleaves, MD Co-Principal Investigator Patria Johnson, MSSW Co-Principal Investigator Sally Brown, Dr.PH Project Evaluator Renee Frazier, CEO Healthy Memphis Common Table Georgia Oliver, MS, RN, Director Memphis Healthy Churches Mae Clayton, RN, CDE Diabetes Educator Wilmetta Neely, R.D., LDN. Registered Dietitian Armika Berkley, BA Lead Case Manager Peg Thorman Hartig, PhD, APN, BC Research Advisor Jeanette Barbee, CHES Fitness Instructor Bobbie Tunstall Administrative Assistant
Patient-Doctor Relationship:
Participants were also signicantly more likely at follow-up than at intake to say that a doctor had told them that diabetes had affected their eyes or that they had retinopathy. At follow-up participants were signicantly more likely to report having prepared a list of questions for their doctor and asked questions about things they wanted to know and things they didnt understand about their treatment.
Outcomes/Impact: Statistically signicant positive changes were found in each of the following scales:
Resources and Supports for Self-Management (p<.05) Stanford Diabetes Self-Efcacy Scale (p<.001) Trust in Health Care Provider (p<.05) Diabetes Self-Care Activities (p<.05) Perceived Competence for Diabetes ( p<.001)
Target Population
African American adults 18 years of age and older diagnosed with Type II diabetes for less than 10 years.
References: 1. Clark, N. M., Brenner, J., Johnson, P., Peek, M., Spoonhunter, H., Walton, J., Dodge, J. & Nelson, B. (2011). Reducing Disparities in Diabetes: The Alliance Model for Health Care Improvements. Diabetes Spectrum, 24(4), 226-230. 2. Merck Pharmaceuticals Journey for Control Program: Conversation Maps process. Available from: http://www.journeyforcontrol.com/journey_for_control/journeyforcontrol/for educators/conversation_maps/ Accessed March 1, 2013.