Many African-Americans and Latinos with diabetes do not achieve recommended diabetes goals placing them at high risk for complications. Team-based models of care can help in reaching goals of therapy. Additionally, mobile health (mHealth) technologies can further improve outcomes among those more difficult to reach. This study will evaluate the impact of a team-based, mHealth intervention designed to improve medication adherence, healthy eating, and physical activity behaviors. We will compare this mHealth approach with usual care. Clinical pharmacists and health coaches (HC) will deliver our proposed team-based intervention. mHealth delivery includes mobile phone text messaging, secure videoconferencing, and HC home visits. Pharmacists will focus on medication reconciliation and adherence. Health coaches will help identify psychosocial and environmental challenges to adherence in a culturally-sensitive manner. Together, they can assist in goal-setting, problem-solving, negotiation of competing priorities, and provide social support leveraging mHealth technologies. Preliminary data from our research group supports the role of health coaches partnering with clinic- based pharmacists in improving diabetes outcomes in minorities. In the proposed mHealth intervention, patient- pharmacist videoconferencing will eliminate the need for in-person visits with a pharmacist, which is impractical for many low-income patients. In addition, our pilot work suggests that text messaging is a preferable means of communication and may facilitate more frequent contact with patients. We propose a randomized, controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of an mHealth diabetes adherence support intervention delivered by clinical pharmacists and health coaches. We will randomize 220 patients through UI Health to either: (1) mHealth diabetes adherence support through clinical pharmacists and health coaches; or (2) usual care. After one year, patients completing the mHealth intervention will be monitored for an additional year while the usual care group receives the mHealth approach. Outcomes include medication adherence, hemoglobin A1c, blood pressure, and LDL-cholesterol levels.
The specific aims i nclude: (1) evaluate the effectiveness of an mHealth diabetes adherence support intervention delivered by clinical pharmacists and health coaches to African-American and Latino adults with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes; (2) evaluate the maintenance of improved diabetes behaviors as well as clinical outcomes one year after completing the intervention; (3) evaluate the cost and cost-effectiveness of mHealth diabetes adherence support compared to usual care; and (4) evaluate the reach, adoption, and implementation of mHealth diabetes adherence support based on the RE-AIM framework.
This research evaluates an mHealth diabetes adherence support intervention delivered by health coaches and clinical pharmacists, designed to improve adherence to medications and a healthy lifestyle. Outcomes measured include change in hemoglobin A1c, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. This study will determine the benefit and cost of including mobile phone text messaging, videoconferencing, health coaches, and clinical pharmacists in diabetes management support services.
