Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #110421

Helen Rodriguez, Central Dallas Ministries, 801 N. Peak, Dallas, TX 75246, 214-823-8766 X115, helenro@baylorhealth.edu, Elizabeth A. Prezio, MD, Office for Community Health, HealthTexas Provider Network, 8080 N. Central Expressway, Suite 1700, Dallas, TX 75206, James W. Walton, DO, Medical Director, Office for Community Health, HealthTexas Provider Network, 8080 N. Central Expressway, Suite 1700, Dallas, TX 75206, and Dan Culica, MD, PhD, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., V8.300, Dallas, TX 75390.

A unique culturally sensitive diabetes education program has been developed in the field by a physician and a bilingual community health worker. The CoDE Program targets the predominantly Mexican-American population served by the faith-based Central Dallas Ministries' Health Services Clinic. The bilingual CHW was trained to act in the capacity of diabetes educator at no cost to the clinic using multiple local resources. The CHW directly participated in the writing of the protocols and in the translation of multiple educational documents and patient surveys. A one-to-one protocol-based collaborative experience takes place during a total of 8 hours of patient contact over 12 consecutive months. During these sessions the patient learns self-management skills (monitoring, nutrition, exercise, lifestyle changes) in his/her native language. The CHW is supervised by two clinic physicians on a daily basis where open communication enhances overall patient care. The content of the educational intervention is monitored by a volunteer endocrinologist from the community who also provides continuing education for the CHW. The CHW has autonomy and necessary supervision. Job satisfaction has been excellent. In the CoDE Program feasibility study, HbA1C was reduced by 1.7%, and 41 % of patients achieved a HbA1C < 7%. A randomized controlled trial is now underway to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of this CHW program. Rigorous outcomes measures will be followed including metabolic control indices, health beliefs and quality-of-life surveys. The CHW will present the results of this study to the APHA.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the process of training a CHW to act as a diabetes educator
• Understand the significance of the contributions made by the bilingual CHW to the development of the CoDE Program
• Identify the sources of CHW support and continuing education for the CHW
• Discuss the results of the randomized controlled trial

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.