Nurse-led patient-centered self-management support improves HbA1c in patients with type 2 diabetes-A randomized study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a patient-centered self-management support, in type 2 diabetes (T2D) with regard to metabolic changes. METHODS: 182 patients were randomized into group intervention (GI), individual intervention (II) or internal controls (IC). An external control (EC) group was recruited from another county council. The intervention consisted of six sessions that featured themes, which regarded different views of their illness experiences. Data were collected in 2010 and 2011. RESULTS: HbA1c was significantly decreased at 12-month follow-up with 5mmol/mol in the GI and 4mmol/mol in the II. In the IC group, the HbA1c was close to baseline. The EC group had increased HbA1c, though not significantly. When the HbA1c difference at baseline was adjusted, there was a significant difference between intervention groups and the EC-group. CONCLUSION: Patient-centered self-management support, led by nurses, can lower HbA1c among patients with type 2 diabetes. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: It is possible to train diabetes specialist nurses in clinical patient-centered care, and simultaneously influence patients' metabolic balance positively.