Diabetes Class at UCIOC- Patients and students partner to stamp out diabetes

Diabetes Self-Management and Education Program patients, case managers, and medical students during January’s class on cardiovascular health and exercise at the Lestonnac Free Clinic in Orange, CA.

For one group of very committed patients, coming to the UCI Outreach Clinic has evolved into more than just a doctor’s visit. For eleven men and women coping with diabetes, monthly meetings of the Diabetes Self-Management and Education Program (DSMEP) are a chance to share their experiences, learn about specific health issues related to their diagnosis and seek one-on-one counseling with their trained case manager.

Thanks to generous support from the UCI Outreach Clinic, the Diabetes Self-Management and Education Program is in its 3^rd year. The program serves uninsured, diabetic Latino patients for whom uncontrolled blood glucose levels pose a major threat to their present and future health.

The program pairs each patient with a Spanish-speaking undergraduate student who serves as that patient’s case manager. Case managers attend all classes and doctor’s appointments with their patients, make regular phone calls to check-in, and provide general support and encouragement as patients learn to maintain their blood glucose at safe levels. Because each patient receives a glucometer, testing strips, and pedometer through the program, case managers encourage patients to set goals of checking their blood glucose and walking a certain distance per day.

In addition to providing direct medical and health education services to Latino patients, the program strengthens the Latino community by offering undergraduate and medical students invaluable experience teaching and managing a prevalent chronic disease. Case managers and medical students lead the monthly group classes which focus on diabetes-related health issues. In this way, students teaching the classes become empowered to disseminate diabetes awareness and education among the Latino community. Students are also exposed to team-centered medical care, which is quickly gaining ground as the preferred model within primary care specialties. In our view, this combination of experiences prepares and encourages our students to pursue careers as primary care physicians to underserved, Latino patients.

To learn more about the Diabetes Self-Management and Education Program please email our Diabetes Class Coordinators: Gabriela Pauli (gpauli@uci.edu) or Kara Percival (kperciva@uci.edu).