Abstract
A community-based diabetes education program was developed in rural Minnesota in conjunction with the Minnesota Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control, Division of Diabetes Control. A patient education program was a part of this effort and was structured to provide information according to the needs of the diabetic individual. Patient progress was measured at four intervals (base line, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months) throughout a one-year period using standardized behav ioral and physiologic measures. Preliminary results demonstrated improvements in dietary com pliance among all program participants, and improvements in home glucose monitoring com pliance among Type II diabetic participants only. Among Type II participants, total glycosylated hemoglobin values demonstrated a statistically significant decrease from the baseline measure. These results suggest that educational efforts have been successful and that the program appears to be a viable model for rural communities.
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