Diabetes Planned Group Visits—University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center

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The University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center's Hoxworth Internal Medicine held diabetes planned group visits that covered topics of interest to the diabetic patient, including diet, medication, and foot care. Each group had five to eight patients.

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Diabetes Planned Group Visits

University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center

Hoxworth Internal Medicine—Pediatric

The internal medicine-pediatric team at Hoxworth convened three highly successful Diabetic Planned Group Visits.

Each group visit included five to eight patients and family participants and covered a different topic each time they met:

• Diet.
• Medication.
• Foot care.

The team also plans to focus on physical activity, and future group visits will rotate the four topics.

Medical students and residents were among the multidisciplinary team that planned and conducted each group visit, which had the following agenda:

• Update lab tests and vitals.
• Participant introductions during a diabetic-friendly breakfast.
• Question-and-answer session.
• Educational session.
• Individual patient visits.
• Self-management support.

Before each visit, resident physicians called and invited twice the number of patients needed for a successful meeting. This approach had two main purposes:

1. Having residents call patients underscored the importance to patients of attending the visits.
2. Inviting twice as many patients as needed ensured a good turnout.

For future group visits, the nurse leader assumes the responsibility of contacting patients.

Response from residents was positive. In particular, many viewed the skills developed at these group visits as contributing to the efficiency of their future practices. One resident stated that these skills have been attractive to potential employers.

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