PEARL Program: Empowerment Program for Patients With Type 2 Diabetes (HK4)

Summary

Quality diabetes care requires informed-decisions of motivated care providers and diabetes patients. The investigators aim to use peer support and information technology to facilitate care providers to implement structured care and empower diabetes patients acquire self-management skills in a multi-component program.

The investigators will make use of the following tools: (1) The Joint Asia Diabetes Evaluation (JADE) Program. JADE Program uses a web-based electronic portal to establish a registry and stratify diabetes patients to care protocols based on their risk profiles with features of decision support and data management. (2) The Australasian Telephone Linked Care (TLC) system. TLC system utilizes an automatic, interactive, computer-controlled telephone system to monitor and promote diabetes self-management.

Amongst 600 diabetes patients receiving structured care in Hong Kong through the JADE Program, half of them will be randomized to receive peer support (n=300) including personal coaching by 30 trained mentors (1 mentor to 10 diabetes patients or mentees) through regular phone calls and sharing sessions, and the other half (n=300) will continue the usual diabetes care in their clinic. The 30 mentors are themselves diabetes patients who have good self care and are motivated to support their peers. The mentors will be trained to deliver peer support intervention under supervision by a program manager. The 300 diabetes patients (mentees) randomized to the peer support group are the intervention targets of these 30 mentors. They will be reminded to use the TLC for knowledge enhancement and motivational support.

The investigators will analyse the changes in risk factor control (blood glucose parameters, blood pressure, body weight, lipids), quality of life and cognitive-psychological-behavioral parameters after 12 months. Effects of various components of peer support on these outcomes as well as user acceptability and cost-effectiveness of these programs will be examined.

The investigators will test the hypothesis that in a multi-component program, the use of a peer support program delivered by diabetes patient-mentors, to influence and motivate other diabetes patients receiving structured care made possible through a web-based disease management program, delivered by a doctor-nurse team, will further improve metabolic control, QOL and self care compared to diabetes patients receiving the same standard of care.

Conditions

• Diabetes

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Usual Care

Subjects in Usual CAre will receive standard care with clinicians' usual follow-up and referral with education to diabetes nurses if deemed necessary at in-charge clinicians' discretion.

BEHAVIORAL

Patient Peer Support and Empowerment

30 mentors are themselves diabetes patients who have good self care and are motivated to support their peers. The mentors will be trained to deliver peer support intervention under supervision by a program manager. The 300 diabetes patients (mentees) randomized to the peer support group are the intervention targets of these 30 mentors. Telephone-Linked-Communication (TLC) system will be a tool of the mentors for education to the mentees. TLC system utilizes an automatic, interactive, computer-controlled telephone system to monitor and promote diabetes self-management.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Asia Diabetes Foundation

  collaborator OTHER

• Chinese University of Hong Kong

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

70 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2009-09-30

Primary Completion

2015-02-28

Completion

2015-02-28

Countries

• China

Study Locations