Effect of Group Medical Appointments on Glycemic Control of Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

Rationale. To evaluate the effectiveness of group medical appointments (GMAs) for patients with type 2 diabetes. Objective. To compare A1C levels of patients participating in GMAs to those of patients who received usual primary care. Design and methods. This study was a retrospective electronic chart review comparing GMA care for 52 male patients to usual primary care for 52 male patients. Demographic (age, marital status, and ethnicity/race) and health-related (height, weight, BMI, duration of diabetes, use of alcohol and tobacco, and A1C) variables were analyzed. Results. A greater proportion of GMA patients (50%) versus usual primary care patients (19.2%) reached target A1C goals (P = 0.001). GMA participants also had a significantly faster rate of decline in A1C over time compared to usual primary care patients (P < 0.001). Conclusion. This study demonstrated that the concept of medical management delivered in a group approach had a positive effect on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. GMAs were found to be an effective approach to achieving patient-centered goals for improving the glycemic control of patients with type 2 diabetes.