Two Years Maintenance of Structured Group Self-management Education in Type 2 Diabetes : a Randomized Controlled Trial

Overview

Type 2 diabetes has a growing impact on populations and public health worldwide. Clinical trials have clearly demonstrated that a better control of blood glucose level and of other risk factors is efficient in preventing or retarding the complications of the disease. On Reunion island, Type 2 diabetes is present in 18% of population aged 30 or older with a high level of socio-economic deprivation. The hypothesis of the ERMIES study is that a structured group self-management education maintained at the community level for 2 years in patients with insufficiently controlled type 2 diabetes has better metabolic results (as attested by improvement in HbA1c level) at 2 yrs, compared to an initial short term (\< 3 months) self-management program, based on the same theoretical basis and framework (learning nests empowerment). A total of 240 adults living in Reunion Island, with type 2 diabetes mellitus with HbA1c ≥ 7.5% on a stable treatment for at least 3 months will be randomly allocated to 2 intervention arms: either a short term (\< 3 months) program (1 to 7 thematic 2-hr long sessions depending on individual assessment), or a long term program including the same initial program as 1st arm, but with group self management education sessions, maintained for 2 years (4-monthly assessment, empowerment, and contextual action planning; facultative additional specific thematic sessions being delivered if needed). Medical visits will be held quarterly for the recording of outcome measures (HbA1c, blood pressure, anthropometrics, tobacco consumption, diabetes complications) and yearly for blood glucose, lipids, micro-albuminuria or proteinuria, creatinine clearance, diet and exercise (questionnaires), treatment recording, quality of life, self-efficacy, anxiety and depression scales, and social support.

Randomised clinical trial comparing 2 parallel arms of educational intervention with the hypothesis of the superiority of a 2-year maintenance of a structured, theoretically-based, educational follow-up. All subjects of both arms will beneficiate from an initial structured educational program (\< 3-months). Subjects, educators, and investigators will be unaware of the group allocation during this initial round. Then the intervention arm will undergo a 2 years self management educational follow-up program. Randomisation will be stratified on 2 factors : centres (5 strata) and anti diabetic treatment (2 strata: insulin-treated or not). All group sessions (3-10 subjects, 2 hr-long, one assessment group session and 6 facultative additional specific sessions for each round \[initial in both arms or follow-up in the intervention arm\], as needed and planned during the first) will be held at the community level, as closer as possible to the subjects' residence. Educators are specifically trained and the educational sessions are structured and coordinated in the framing and organisational supervision of the health management network "ReuCARE" in Reunion island. Subjects of both arms will continue quarterly to attend at the outpatient clinic of the centre. This trial is associated to a qualitative ethno-sociological study on a sample of 30-40 subjects, with in-depth interviews and ethnographic observation of group sessions, with the specific aim of describing the learning processes, coping, health and functional literacy, social and contextual issues.