Technology Intensified Diabetes Education Study in African Americans With Type 2 Diabetes

African Americans (AA) with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) have higher prevalence of diabetes, poorer metabolic control (i.e. poorer blood glucose, blood pressure, and lipid control), and greater risk for complications and death compared to White Americans. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is the primary marker for glycemic control and is a strong independent predictor of development of complications and increased mortality in T2DM. Key self-care behaviors that influence glycemic control (and HbA1c) include diet, physical activity, self-monitoring of blood glucose and medication adherence. Systematic review of multiple randomized clinical trials (RCTs) show that self-care interventions that include diabetes education and skills training are effective in improving metabolic control in diabetes. Recent findings indicate that patients with diabetes, especially ethnic minority patients, prefer telephone-delivered diabetes education to group visits or internet-based education. Multiple RCTs have documented the effectiveness of telephone-delivered self-care interventions in T2DM. Preliminary data from our group also suggest that a culturally-tailored telephone-delivered diabetes education and skills training intervention is an effective strategy to improve metabolic control in AA patients with T2DM.

This study provides a unique opportunity to address gaps in the literature by testing the efficacy of a technology-intensified diabetes education/skills training (TIDES) intervention in AAs with poorly controlled T2DM. The long-term goal of the project is to identify effective strategies to improve metabolic control and hence reduce diabetes complications and mortality rates in AAs with T2DM.