Swedish Study Assesses Impact of Staff Workshops on A1C in Patients With Diabetes

A 4-part workshop model aimed at caregivers in primary care centers was shown to help improve glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Sweden, a study published in Primary Care Diabetes found.

The workshops were aimed at ensuring that primary care centers were following clinical care guidelines developed after 2011 meeting requirements of a national certification program. Researchers focused on primary care centers in Stockholm County, which has 180 primary care centers total. Twenty-three centers with the highest percentage of patients with high A1C (> 70 mmol/mol) were selected. Each care center also had over 100 patients.

Each of the centers was sent an invitation to join the study, and 9 accepted. Three primary care centers from another study were also included. Four workshops of 2 hours each were hosted, which offered the caregiver staff an introduction, analysis tools, action plans, and group discussions. There was a 12- and 24-month follow up after the last workshop.

The results showed that patients in the participating centers had a reduction in patients with high glycated hemoglobin (A1C) at the 12-month mark. However, not all of the centers maintained the reduction at the 24-month mark. Only 2 centers reached the 24-month mark with a higher percentage of patients above the high A1C threshold than at baseline; 1 of these centers only took part in 2 workshop sessions.

“Working with the structure of diabetes care improved care structure and had a positive impact on [A1C]. To sustain the positive impact, [primary care centers] had to set long-term goals and regularly evaluate performance,” the study states.

The strengths of the study included a standardized workshop model. Participants found the model easy to use and the facilitator was easily assessable during and after the workshops. However, the low acceptance rate was a limitation of the study. Additionally, 2 centers dropped out early. The analysis tool was also unvalidated. Future studies will evaluate a larger- scale implementation of the workshop model.

Reference

Stattin NS, Kane K, Stenback M, Wajngot A, Seijboldt K. Improving the structure of diabetes care in primary care. Primary Diabetes Care. 2020;14(1):33-39. doi:doi.org/10.1016/j.pcd.2019.05.005.