ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Digital health coaching is an increasingly common diabetes self-management support strategy for individuals with type 2 diabetes and has been linked to positive mental and physical health outcomes. However, the relationship between baseline risk and outcomes is yet to be evaluated in a real-world setting. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this real-world study was to evaluate trends in digital health coaching outcomes by baseline hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) to better understand which populations may experience the greatest clinical and psychosocial benefit. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study design was used to evaluate program effect in a convenience sample of participants in a 12-week digital health coaching program administered by Pack Health. Participants were referred through their health care provider, payer, or employer. The program included patient-centered lifestyle counseling and psychosocial support delivered via telephone, text, and/or email. Self-reported HbA1c and weight were collected at baseline and completion. Physical and mental health were assessed using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Global Health Short Form and the Diabetes Distress Scale-2. Changes in HbA1c, weight, BMI, and physical and mental health were analyzed within three participant cohorts stratified by baseline HbA1c level. RESULTS: Participants with complete HbA1c data sets (n=226) were included in the analysis. The sample population was 71.7% (162/226) female, with 61.5% (139/226) identifying as white and 34.1% (77/226) as black. Most participants (184/226, 81.4%) reported a baseline HbA1c ≥7%, and 20.3% (46/226) were classified as high risk (HbA1c >9%). Across HbA1c cohorts, the mean baseline BMI was 35.83 (SD 7.79), and the moderate-risk cohort (7% ≤ HbA1c ≤ 9%) reported the highest mean value (36.6, SD 7.79). At 12 weeks, patients reported a significant decrease in HbAlc, and high-risk participants reduced their levels by the greatest margin (2.28 points; P<.001). Across cohorts, BMI improved by 0.82 (P<.001), with the moderate-risk cohort showing the greatest reduction (-0.88; P<.001). Overall, participants reported significant improvements for PROMIS scores, with the greatest change occurring in the high-risk cohort for whom physical health improved 3.84 points (P<.001) and mental health improved 3.3 points (P<.001). However, the lowest-risk cohort showed the greatest improvements in diabetes distress (-0.76; P=.005). CONCLUSIONS: Acknowledging the limitations in this real-world study design, the results reported here suggest that adults with type 2 diabetes with a high baseline HbA1c or high BMI may benefit the most from patient-centered digital health coaching programs when compared to their lower risk counterparts. While all participants improved in physical and mental health categories, participants with high HbA1c experienced the greatest HbA1c reduction and individuals with the highest baseline BMI lost the most weight. These results may be used to inform referrals for patients who are more likely to benefit from digital health coaching.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Addressing complex problems such as health disparities requires collaboration among individuals and agencies. Yet, methods by which productive and cohesive community-based volunteer workgroups are developed and activated to improve health outcomes are often not discussed. OBJECTIVE: Using the transtheoretical model (TTM) as a framework, we discuss effective processes for developing an action-oriented community-based workgroup committed to producing evidence-based information relevant to health policy. METHODS: Workgroup members answered open-ended survey questions and participated in focused coalition-wide discussions to identify factors that facilitated movement of the embedded workgroup from precontemplation to committed action. Frequency and content of e-mail exchanges and workgroup meetings were also considered.Results and Lessons Learned: Activating the group's process of social support or helping relationships was essential throughout the stages of change to promote cohesion and trust. Consciousness raising (awareness), and dramatic relief (emotional arousal) were particularly critical for initial movement from precontemplation to contemplation to preparation. Using group time to promote member's self-reevaluation (how work is relevant) and self-liberation (commitment) prevented attrition and facilitated effort. As the workgroup enacted planned activities, stimulus control and reinforcement management processes facilitated movement through the action and maintenance stages of change. CONCLUSIONS: By attending to both individual and organizational processes of change, we effectively created an action-oriented multidisciplinary workgroup focused on obtaining evidence to guide local and regional health policy decisions and improve health outcomes for under-resourced patients.
Subject(s)
Community-Based Participatory Research , Efficiency, Organizational , Health Policy , Models, Theoretical , Public Health , Cooperative Behavior , Southeastern United StatesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Muscle mass is not a major determinant of serum cystatin C levels, and its use to estimate GFR may lead to more congruent estimates of chronic kidney disease (CKD) across gender and racial/ethnic groups. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis is a population-based study of 6814 men and women who are aged 45 to 85 yr and do not have clinical cardiovascular disease. Estimated CKD prevalence, defined as an estimated GFR <60 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) body surface area, was compared using three different GFR prediction equations: The abbreviated Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation and two equations based on serum cystatin C. RESULTS: Among women, CKD prevalence estimates across the four racial/ethnic groups using the MDRD- or the cystatin C-based GFR equations, which include gender and race coefficients, varied by approximately two-fold (P < 0.0001) but were more congruent with use of a serum cystatin C-based equation without the use of coefficients (P = 0.3). CKD prevalence estimates did not differ significantly across racial/ethnic groups among men with the MDRD (P = 0.07) or cystatin C formula without coefficients (P = 0.05) but did differ significantly with the cystatin C formula, which incorporates gender and race coefficients (P = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: CKD prevalence estimates vary across racial/ethnic groups, and the degree of variability depends on the method used to estimate GFR, especially among women. Further research is needed to determine the accuracy and precision of GFR prediction equations in racially diverse populations.
