An Evaluation of the Effects of a Diabetes Self-Management Education Program on the HbA1c in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Introduction Diabetes has become an epidemic in the United States. More than 30.3 29 million Americans are living with the disease, while an additional 84.1 million Americans are living with prediabetes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2018). Standards set forth by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) describe comprehensive and individualized self-management education and treatment as part of their guidelines for the management of diabetes (ADA, 2018). The “Active Steps for Diabetes” program is an example of a diabetes self-management education (DSME) program that supports national recommendations made by the ADA. Methods This study was a retrospective descriptive pre- and post-test design which evaluated the HbA1c levels in patients with type 2 diabetes before, and after completion of the “Active Steps for Diabetes” program at a community health center located in an urban setting in a Midwest city. The first objective of this project was to describe the demographics of the patients who participated in the “Active Steps for Diabetes” DSME program during the academic semesters between Fall semester 2013 and Spring semester 2016. The second objective was to examine pre- and post-program HbA1c levels among patients who participated in the “Active Steps for Diabetes” DSME program during the academic semesters between Fall semester 2013 and Spring semester 2016. Results Findings showed participants of the “Active Steps for Diabetes” program had a statistically significant average decrease in their total HbA1c level of about 0.68% after completion of the 3-month DSME program (p \u3c .0001). Age and gender were not associated with any changes in HbA1c levels between pre- and post-intervention, and therefore did not play a significant role in the success of any participant. Conclusions The “Active Steps for Diabetes” program is a successful example of a DSME program for patients with type 2 diabetes. This program is structured to implement the standards and guidelines set forth by the American Diabetes Association and has been tailored to fit the individual needs of each participant based on a comprehensive approach to diabetes management and education