Emergency Department Use in Black Individuals With Diabetes.

Objective: The prevalence of diabetes is higher in Black than in White individuals, and Blacks seek emergency department (ED) care for diabetes more often than Whites. This randomized controlled trial compared the efficacy of a novel intervention called the Diabetes Interprofessional Team to Enhance Adherence to Medical Care (DM I-TEAM) to usual medical care (UMC) to prevent return diabetes-related ED visits and hospitalizations over 12 months in 200 Black individuals with diabetes after an ED visit. The trial also identified baseline variables associated with return ED visits and hospitalizations. Methods: The DM I-TEAM provided diabetes education and behavioral activation services delivered by race-concordant research assistants, telehealth visits with a diabetes care and education specialist and primary care physicians, and clinical pharmacist recommendations. Results: Participants had a mean age of 64.9 years, and 73.0% were women. There was no treatment group difference in return diabetes-related ED visits or hospitalizations over 12 months (DM I-TEAM n = 39 [45.3%] vs. UMC n = 37 [38.5%], χ2 = 0.864, P = 0.353). Baseline variables that were associated with return diabetes-related ED visits or hospitalizations were longer duration of diabetes, higher number of chronic health conditions, higher number of previous ED visits or hospitalizations, greater anticholinergic medication burden, lower satisfaction with primary care physicians, and lower trust in physicians (all P ≤0.05). Conclusion: Among Black individuals with diabetes, the DM I-TEAM interprofessional intervention was no better than UMC at preventing return diabetes-related ED visits or hospitalizations. High medical morbidity, greater anticholinergic medication burden, low satisfaction with primary care physicians, and physician mistrust were associated with diabetes-related ED visits or hospitalizations independent of treatment. Before clinical interventions such as the DM I-TEAM can be effective, reducing system-level barriers to health, improving physician-patient relationships and medication prescribing, and building community health care capacity will be necessary.

Diabetes Distress, Daily Functioning, and A1C in Older Black Individuals With Diabetes and Mild Cognitive Impairment.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the cross-sectional study was to identify associations of diabetes distress, physical functioning, and cognition with A1C in older Black individuals with diabetes and mild cognitive impairment. METHODS: The investigators analyzed previously collected data from 101 older Black individuals with diabetes and mild cognitive impairment. Participants were administered surveys at baseline to assess diabetes distress, physical functioning, and cognitive functioning and had A1C testing. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 68.4 years, and 62% were women. Participants with higher A1C showed worse self-reported daily functioning (r = -0.28, P <0.01). Three of four diabetes distress factors were positively correlated with A1C: emotional (r = 0.28, P <0.01), regimen-related (r = 0.33, P <0.01), and interpersonal distress (r = 0.27, P <0.01). In a multivariate regression with A1C as the dependent variable, only regimen-related diabetes distress (ß = 0.32, P = 0.008) and self-reported daily functioning (ß = -0.33, P = 0.019) were significant. CONCLUSION: Regimen-related diabetes distress and self-reported daily functioning were found to compromise glycemic control in Black individuals with mild cognitive impairment and diabetes. This finding suggests that diabetes interventions should be multifaceted to improve glycemic control in the high-risk population of Black individuals with diabetes.

Trust and Glycemic Control in Black Patients With Diabetic Retinopathy: A Pilot Study.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is more prevalent in blacks than whites because, compared to whites, blacks on average have worse glycemic control. Both of these racial disparities reflect differences in sociocultural determinants of health, including physician mistrust. This randomized, controlled 6-month pilot trial compared the efficacy of a culturally tailored behavioral health/ophthalmologic intervention called Collaborative Care for Depression and Diabetic Retinopathy (CC-DDR) to enhanced usual care (EUC) for improving glycemic control in black patients with DR (n = 33). The mean age of participants was 68 years (SD 6.1 years), 76% were women, and the mean A1C was 8.7% (SD 1.5%). At baseline, 14 participants (42%) expressed mistrust about ophthalmologic diagnoses. After 6 months, CC-DDR participants had a clinically meaningful decline in A1C of 0.6% (SD 2.1%), whereas EUC participants had an increase of 0.2% (SD 1.1%) (f[1, 28] = 1.9; P = 0.176). Within CC-DDR, participants with trust had a reduction in A1C (1.4% [SD 2.5%]), whereas participants with mistrust had an increase in A1C (0.44% [SD 0.7%]) (f[1, 11] = 2.11; P = 0.177). EUC participants with trust had a reduction in A1C (0.1% [SD 1.1%]), whereas those with mistrust had an increase in A1C (0.70% [SD 1.1%]) (f[1, 16] = 2.01; P = 0.172). Mistrust adversely affected glycemic control independent of treatment. This finding, coupled with the high rate of mistrust, highlights the need to target mistrust in new interventions to improve glycemic control in black patients with DR.

Cost-Effectiveness of Behavior Activation Versus Supportive Therapy on Adherence to Eye Exams in Older African Americans With Diabetes.

Although the importance of ophthalmologic screening in diabetic patients is widely recognized by clinicians, the cost-effectiveness of strategies aimed at improving eye care utilization in this population is not well established. A cost-effectiveness analysis was performed comparing behavior activation (BA) to supportive therapy (ST) in activating patients to receive a dilated fundus exam (DFE) and promoting healthy management of diabetes. Two hundred six subjects were randomized to receive either BA or ST between 2009 and 2013. Cost-effectiveness was calculated as incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of BA versus ST. Total costs for BA and ST per participant were $259.02 and $216.12, respectively. At the 6-month follow-up, 87.91% of BA subjects received a DFE compared to 34.48% of ST subjects. The ICER for BA versus ST was $80.29/percent increase in DFE rate. In terms of improving DFE rates, BA was found to be more cost-effective than ST.

Determinants of Activity Levels in African Americans With Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Engaging in cognitive, social, and physical activities may prevent cognitive decline. In a sample of older African Americans with mild cognitive impairment (MCI; N=221), we investigated the cross-sectional relationships between activity levels and participants' demographic, clinical, and neuropsychological characteristics. The average age of participants was 75.4 years (SD, 7.0); 177 (80.1%) were women. Participation in cognitive/social activities was positively associated with education, depression, literacy, mobility, instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), verbal learning, and subcomponents of executive function. A linear regression identified IADLs, education, depression, and verbal learning as independent predictors. Participation in physical activities was positively associated with sex, depression, IADLs, and subcomponents of executive function. An ordinal regression identified executive function and depression as independent correlates. These data suggest that unique characteristics are associated with cognitive/social and physical activities in older African Americans with MCI. These characteristics, coupled with low activity levels, may increase the risk of progression from MCI to dementia. Culturally relevant behavioral interventions to reduce cognitive decline in this high-risk population are needed.

Sociocultural Influences on Diabetes Self-Management Behaviors in Older African Americans.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this observational study was to describe the associations between cultural beliefs that are prevalent in older African Americans and adherence to diabetes self-management (DSM) behaviors. METHODS: In a community population of 110 older African Americans with type 2 diabetes, the investigators administered surveys that assess present time orientation (PTO), future time orientation (FTO), and religiosity, as well as exercising habits, reading food labels, and checking blood glucose. RESULTS: Participants who reported regularly exercising had significantly lower PTO scores and higher FTO and religiosity scores than participants who did not regularly exercise. Similarly, participants who reported reading food labels had lower PTO scores and higher FTO scores but did not differ in religiosity. Participants who reported checking blood glucose levels tended to have higher FTO scores but did not differ in PTO or religiosity. Participants who engaged in all three DSM behaviors had significantly lower PTO scores and higher FTO and religiosity scores. CONCLUSION: These data indicate that cultural diversity within older African Americans may influence DSM behaviors and contribute to disparities in diabetes outcomes in this high-risk population. Efforts to prevent complications of diabetes might benefit from consideration of these cultural factors.