| dc.description.abstract | Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) currently affects approximately 1 in 9 individuals in the
United States. Access to education, transportation to appointments, and other social determinants
of health can reflect poor self-management, adverse outcomes, and increased morbidity and
mortality. The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to evaluate the effectiveness
of implementing a series of expert-led, educational classes with a toolkit for patients diagnosed
with prediabetes or T2DM. The Health Belief Model was the framework used to develop and
implement educational intervention through a 4-month period. This project was conducted at two
sites in Northeast Kansas: one which provides primary care services to an underserved
population, while the other is a satellite clinic located within a housing authority. The PDSA
cycle was used to develop and evaluate program implementation throughout the project. A
toolkit was developed and provided to individuals who attended the sessions. Educational
sessions focused on T2DM overview, risk factors, comorbidities, medication, diet, exercise,
stress, and self-management. Expert specialists were recruited for two of the educational
sessions. A diabetes self-management questionnaire (DSMQ) score and glycated hemoglobin
(A1c) value were obtained prior to the first educational session. A final DSMQ score and A1c
value were obtained at the conclusion of the last educational session. Qualitative measurement
revealed improved perceived self-management of T2DM as well as an overall improvement of
A1c control after a 4-month period. | en_US |
