Effectiveness of a Student Pharmacist–Led Telephone Follow-Up Intervention to Improve Hemoglobin A 1C in Diabetic Patients

Abstract

Objective:

To evaluate the effectiveness of a student pharmacist–led telephone follow-up intervention to improve hemoglobin A_1c (HbA_1c) in diabetic patients.

Methods:

This was a prospective, randomized, pilot study to implement a telephone follow-up intervention for diabetic patients with HbA_1c ≥7%. Patients were recruited and randomized into intervention and control groups. All patients received standard of care. Patients in the intervention group additionally received weekly phone calls from a student pharmacist for 12 weeks to encourage medication adherence. HbA_1c at baseline and end of study were measured and the data were analyzed using SAS version 9.4. Analysis included descriptive statistics and a multiple regression model to assess the association between the end of study and baseline HbA_1c while controlling for demographics.

Results:

Seventy-eight patients participated and the average age was 62 (±11) years. Baseline HbA_1c was 8.2% (±1.4%) in the intervention group and 7.9% (±1.3%) in the control group. HbA_1c decreased by 0.35% in the intervention group (P = .027) and increased by 0.338% in the control group (P = .013). The end of study HbA_1c were higher in the control group even after controlling for baseline HbA_1cs (0.5547, P value .002) in the regression model.

Conclusion:

Incorporating student pharmacists in physician offices to provide clinical care services could lead to improved patient outcomes and students’ clinical and research skills.