A Narrative Review of Diabetes Group Visits in Low-Income and Underserved Settings

Abstract

Background: Prior studies have supported the efficacy of diabetes group visits. However, the benefit of diabetes group visits for low-income and underserved individuals is not clear. The purpose of this study was to conduct a narrative review in order to clarify the efficacy of diabetes group visits in low-income and underserved settings.

Methods: The authors performed a narrative review, categorizing studies into nonrandomized and randomized.

Results: A total of 14 studies were identified. Hemoglobin A1c was the most commonly measured outcome, which improved for the majority of group visit participants. Preventive care showed consistent improvement for intervention arms. There were several other study outcomes including metabolic (i.e., blood pressure), behavioral (i.e., exercise), functional (i.e., quality of life), and system-based (i.e., cost).

Conclusion: Diabetes group visits for low-income and underserved individuals resulted in superior preventive care but the impact on glycemic control remains unclear.

Keywords: Group visits; chronic disease; diabetes; low-income; shared medical appointments; underserved..