Group Conference Call Diabetes Educational Support Sessions: A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Public Health
• Chronic Disease Management

Background:

• Rural African-American women face unique challenges in managing type 2 diabetes.
• Access to diabetes education and support can be limited in rural settings.
• Diabetes distress negatively impacts self-management and health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the acceptability of group conference call diabetes education for rural southern African-American women.
• To evaluate the impact of this intervention on diabetes distress.
• To explore the convenience and effectiveness of remote diabetes education delivery.

Main Methods:

• A pre-post-test design was employed with a small sample size (N=3) of participants with dysglycemia or type 2 diabetes.
• Qualitative methods were used to gauge participant acceptability of the conference call format.
• An adapted diabetes education curriculum was delivered via group conference calls.

Main Results:

• The conference call intervention was perceived as convenient and informative, eliminating the need for in-person attendance.
• A statistically significant reduction in diabetes distress was observed, particularly in the regimen management sub-scale (p = 0.005).
• Participants found the format removed barriers associated with travel and time constraints.

Conclusions:

• Group conference call diabetes education is an acceptable and effective alternative to traditional in-person sessions for this population.
• This remote approach has the potential to reduce opportunity costs and improve access to care for individuals with demanding lives.
• Telehealth interventions can play a crucial role in supporting chronic disease management in underserved rural communities.