Group Visits for Diabetes Patients

Increasingly, practices are offering group visits to patients with chronic illnesses. In this study, researchers evaluated the efficacy of group visits among diabetic patients with glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA_1c] levels ≥7.5% and inadequately controlled hypertension (systolic blood pressure >140 mm Hg or diastolic BP >90 mm Hg). More than 200 patients in two Veterans Affairs medical centers were randomized to group medical clinics or to usual care. Each group visit was attended by an internist, a pharmacist, a nurse or a diabetes educator, and seven or eight patients. The interactive sessions lasted 90 to 120 minutes each and were conducted every 2 months (total sessions, 7).

At the end of the study, mean HbA_1c levels did not differ signific…