Interprofessional Training to Improve Diabetes Care: The ReSPECT Trial

Interprofessional Training for Improving Diabetes Care

The investigators' study focuses on improving the care of diabetes, a complex chronic illness, by providing important insights into interprofessional training and its potential role in fostering the necessary interdisciplinary management needed for chronic conditions and in addressing the gap between best practice and actual care provided.

The complexity of diabetes management challenges the acute care-oriented healthcare system. Some experts suggest part of the problem is that the healthcare system fosters a separate silos decision making model. While there is increasing recognition that quality diabetes care is best provided in an interdisciplinary manner, interprofessional training models are limited, as is understanding of the links between interprofessional training, actual practice, and patient outcomes. Advancing our understanding of interprofessional training models is critical because most of the complications associated with diabetes (e.g., amputations, renal failure, strokes) can be prevented or delayed with proper management. The investigators' objective is to better understand the processes and mechanisms by which interprofessional training impacts on chronic care management (practice patterns) and the ways it translates into improved patient outcomes.

Inclusion Criteria:

CLINICIANS

• All clinicians in all of Ohio's CBOCs (except for the Georgetown CBOC) will be eligible for the study (all PCPs have patients with DM in their panel of patients).

PATIENTS

• All diabetic patients who are seen in Ohio's CBOCs (except for the Georgetown CBOC) will be eligible for the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

CLINICIANS

• Any clinician who does not have diabetic patients on their panel, who aren't apart of Ohio's CBOC's, or see patients at the Georgetown CBOC will not be eligible to participate.

PATIENTS

• Patients who don't have a diagnosis of diabetes, who aren't seen at one of Ohio's CBOC's, or is seen for their medical care at the Georgetown CBOC will not be eligible to participate.