Effectiveness of Managing Diabetes During Ramadan Conversation Map intervention: A difference-in-differences...

Area of Science:

• Diabetes Management
• Public Health
• Clinical Intervention

Background:

• Fasting during Ramadan poses health risks for individuals with diabetes.
• The Managing Diabetes During Ramadan Conversation Map is a self-management education intervention.
• This intervention specifically targets Muslim individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Managing Diabetes During Ramadan Conversation Map intervention.
• To assess improvements in short-term clinical outcomes post-Ramadan.
• To determine reductions in healthcare utilization following the intervention.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective rolling cohort study design.
• Utilized electronic health records from Clalit Health Services (2014-2017).
• Employed difference-in-differences analysis with mixed model and Poisson regressions.

Main Results:

• Significant reductions in glucose (8.61 mg/dL) and HbA1c (0.34%) levels post-intervention.
• Participants with HbA1c > 7% showed greater improvements in glucose, HbA1c, and LDL levels.
• A reduction in primary care visits was observed in the subgroup with HbA1c > 7%.

Conclusions:

• The intervention effectively improved glucose and HbA1c levels in type 2 diabetes patients.
• Individuals with higher baseline HbA1c levels ( > 7%) experienced more substantial benefits.
• Findings have global health implications for diabetes management during Ramadan.