Participation in the Journey to Life Conversation Map Improves Control of Hypertension, Diabetes, and Hypercholesterolemia
USA • 2015
Paul Crawford, MD, and Scott Wiltz, MD, MPH
Background: The Diabetes Conversation Map program includes 4 “board game–like” education tools. We describe how the Journey to Life Conversation Map Education Class improves diabetes performance measures of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and blood pressure (BP).
Methods: Retrospective case– control study in a military family medicine clinic from January 2007 to January 2010. We included 202 patients who completed >1 conversation map class and a comparison group of 209 patients who did not attend.
Results: Attendees started with HbA1c 8.25 (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.86–8.64) and decreased to 6.96 (95% CI, 6.69 –7.23). Patients in the comparison group started at 8.57 (95% CI, 8.18 – 8.95) and decreased to 8.27 (95% CI, 8.01– 8.54) (P < .001). Attendees began with LDL of 111 mg/dL (95% CI, 103–119) and decreased to 94 mg/dL (95% CI, 81–106). Patients in the comparison group started at 89 mg/dL (95% CI, 81–98) and increased to 98 mg/dL (95% CI, 85–110) (P < .007). Systolic BP decreased 5.4 mmHg among attendees versus 0.8 mmHg among those in the comparison group (P = .014), whereas diastolic BP was unchanged (P = .110).
Conclusion: The Journey to Life Healthy Interactions Conversation Map Education Class for diabetes improves diabetes performance measures. (J Am Board Fam Med 2015;28:767–771.)
