A Community-Academic Collaboration to Support Chronic Disease Self-Management among Individuals Living in Permanent Supportive Housing.

Abstract

Individuals experiencing chronic homelessness with a chronic health condition may qualify for permanent supportive housing (PSH). Given limited PSH resources, it is important to identify priority programming with demonstrated effectiveness. A community-academic partnership was formed to address the priority health needs of individuals living in PSH. Community stakeholders identified diabetes self-management as a priority health need. Wisdom, Power, Control (WPC), an evidence-based diabetes self-management program, was piloted for seven weeks with diabetic (type 2) or prediabetic PSH residents. A survey was administered at baseline and program completion. HbA1c was assessed at baseline and 3-month follow-up. Those who completed the Program (N = 10), reported a significant increase in diabetes knowledge, self-efficacy and foot self-care. The average hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) of the participants significantly decreased from 8.86 to 6.88. Pilot data from this study provides an example of a community-academic partnership that improved the health of individuals in PSH through evidence-based programming.