Increasing Access to Diabetes Education using a Group Follow-Up Counselling Program: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Funder requirements motivated diabetes educators to create an innovative program to increase access of service using group counselling. Group counselling has the potential to improve clinical indicators and enhance diabetes knowledge, while allowing for more efficient and cost-effective methods of delivery. Secondary objectives included bridging the gap between diabetes management and social isolation, while enhancing client’s quality of care. Weekly sessions were offered to client’s living with pre-diabetes or T2DM managed with diet and/or oral medications. Each session was a 1-hour group discussion where participants were given the autonomy to decide on the topics discussed in each session. Following this discussion, 15-minute individual appointments were offered to clients for direct contact with their diabetes educator. Access to care for follow-up clients was improved, as evidenced by decreased in wait times by an average of 1.5 weeks. Qualitative data collection and facilitator observations revealed an unintended result of a natural progression from group programming to a support group grounded discussion. The cohesion amongst participants fostered community and an openness to discuss topics that normally would not arise in individual appointments and a confidence to become leaders in their self-care. It is speculated that by virtue of the clients sharing the commonality of having diabetes, the stigma of having diabetes was lessened. A significant proportion of clients are able to access this efficient mode of diabetes education delivery. Other client groups, such as language-specific groups, could benefit from using this group model.