Diabetes Nurse Case Management in a Canadian Tertiary Care Setting: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial

To examine the effects of a 6-month nurse case manager (NCM) intervention compared to standard care (SC) on glycemic control and diabetes distress in a Canadian tertiary-care setting.

We recruited 140 adults with type 2 diabetes and glycated hemoglobin (A1C) levels >8% (64 mmol/mol) from 2 tertiary care facilities and randomized them to: 1) a 6-month NCM intervention in addition to SC or 2) SC by the primary endocrinologists. Assessments were conducted at baseline and at 6 months. Primary outcomes included A1C levels and diabetes distress scores (DDS). Secondary outcomes included body mass index, blood pressure, diabetes-related behaviour measures, depressive symptoms, self-motivation and perception of support.

At the 6-month follow up, the NCM group experienced larger reductions in A1C levels of -0.73% compared to the SC group (p=0.027; n=134). The NCM group also showed an additional reduction of -0.40 (26% reduction) in DDS compared to those in the SC group (p=0.001; n=134). The NCM group had lower blood pressure, ate more fruit and vegetables, exercised more, checked their feet more frequently, were more motivated, were less depressed and perceived more support. There were no changes and no group differences in terms of body mass index, medication compliance or frequency of testing.

Compared to SC, NCM intervention was more effective in improving glycemic control and reducing diabetes distress. It is, therefore, a viable adjunct to standard diabetes care in the tertiary care setting, particularly for patients at high risk and with poor control.