ABSTRACT
This project addressed interprofessional team-based care to improve management and outcomes of complex patients with diabetes. A collaborative model between Family Medicine and Nursing was developed to determine if having nursing students as case managers would improve the quality of care. From 2015-2016, patients with diabetes at greatest risk for poor outcomes (N = 58) received an intervention from senior nursing students (N = 6) at a Family Practice Center. Nursing students shared responsibilities with physicians, medical students, and medical assistants to deliver high quality care. For the intervention, nursing students reviewed charts, called patients for follow-up visits, and facilitated patients' adherence to providers' recommendations. Students also conducted group education sessions on nutrition, medication adherence, obesity, and exercise for patients. The control group included 61 randomly selected patients with diabetes who did not receive the intervention during the same period of time. Compared to the control group, the intervention group showed significantly improved outcomes in HgA1C levels (66% vs. 40.8%; p = .009), blood pressure control (61.1% vs. 36.8%; p = .009), and urine microalbumin test completion (87.5% vs. 48.3%; p< .0001). Outpatient practices offer an optimal opportunity for nursing students to practice case management. This team-based care approach suggests better outcomes for patients with diabetes.