Point-of-care Health Literacy and Activation Information to Improve Diabetes Care

Project Background: Diabetes mellitus is a highly prevalent chronic condition, affecting one in four Veterans who use the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system. Self-management skills are critical for controlling diabetes and reducing its cardiovascular sequela. Providing diabetic patients with effective self-management training and support can be challenging due to time constraints at primary care encounters and limited clinician training with behavior change. The investigators have previously demonstrated that a group-based, VA primary care intervention to help patients set highly effective, evidence-based diabetes goals had a positive impact on both diabetes self-efficacy and hemoglobin (Hb) A1c levels. This study aims to evaluate the process of implementing a collaborative goal-setting intervention personalized to patient activation and health literacy levels (i.e. Empowering Patients in Chronic Care [EPIC]) into routine PACT care and to evaluate the effectiveness of this intervention relative to usual care.

Project Objectives: Specific Aim 1: Assess effective processes for and costs associated with implementing a collaborative diabetes goal-setting intervention personalized to patient activation and FHL (i.e., EPIC) into the routine workflows of PACTs. H1: Formative measures within the PARIHS framework (evidence, context, facilitation) will be associated with implementation of EPIC (defined by reach, adoption, cost effectiveness, and fidelity measures) into routine PACT care. Specific Aim 2: Evaluate the effectiveness of delivering collaborative goal-setting personalized to patient activation and FHL on clinical (HbA1c) and patient-centered (Diabetes Distress Scale) outcomes among eligible patients in enrolled PACTs. H2: Patients receiving collaborative goal-setting personalized to activation and FHL levels will have significant improvements in a) HbA1c and b) Diabetes Distress Scale levels, respectively, at post-intervention compared with patients receiving enhanced usual care. H3: Patients receiving collaborative goal-setting personalized to activation and FHL levels will maintain significant improvements in a) HbA1c and b) Diabetes Distress Scale levels at post-maintenance follow-up, respectively, compared with patients receiving enhanced usual care.

Project Methods: In Phase 1 of the study, the investigators will implement EPIC into routine PACT care. The investigators will conduct a mixed-methods formative evaluation that includes 33-48 key informant interviews with VA leadership, clinicians, and staff and an assessment of organizational readiness for change. This evaluation will identify how group and one-on-one sessions of EPIC can best be implemented into routine workflows of PACT. In Phase 2, the investigators will conduct a randomized clinical trial enrolling 284 patients with poorly controlled diabetes defined by average hemoglobin A1c of 8% to receive EPIC or enhanced usual care. The patient will serve as the unit of randomization. EPIC consists of six 1-hour group sessions focusing on 1) Your Health, Your Values, 2) Diabetes ABCs, 3) Setting Goals and Making Action Plans, 4) Communication with Your Health Care Provider, 5) Staying Committed to Your Goals, and 6) Reviewing and Planning for the Future. After each group session, a one-on-one session between a designated PACT member and patient participants will focus on collaborative goal-setting. Designated PACT members will be trained to personalize goal-setting using patient-reported activation and health literacy data. The investigators will collect laboratory and survey data at baseline, post-intervention, and post-maintenance phase. The investigators will evaluate the effectiveness of personalized goal-setting compared to enhanced usual care on clinical (e.g., hemoglobin A1c) and patient-centered (e.g., Diabetes Distress Scale) outcomes.

Inclusion criteria

• Veterans receiving primary care at VA study sites who are enrolled in the panels of participating primary care teams
• Veterans with ICD-9-CM and/or ICD-10 codes indicating a diagnosis of diabetes
• Veterans with an average HbA1c level > 8% in the prior 6 months

Exclusion criteria

The investigators will exclude Veterans with the following clinical conditions that would render participation in a group clinic inappropriate:

• metastatic cancer or receiving hospice care
• limited life expectancy
• clinician recommendations to not titrate therapy due to prior history of significant hypoglycemic events
• age <18 years
• active bipolar or psychotic disorder

The investigators will also exclude Veterans, who at the time of screening:

• cannot attend monthly group clinic sessions due to transportation or availability barriers
• have significant cognitive impairment
• have active substance-abuse disorders
• are not comfortable discussing their health and health care in a peer-group setting Patients will be secondarily excluded if their HbA1C level falls below 7.5% at baseline.