The most significant effect observed is with the change from baseline results .
Some evidence suggests post-intervention and change from baseline systolic blood pressure improvement at the nine to twelve month interval and change from baseline improvement at the 4 year timeframe .
There is no evidence that group visits improve LDL cholesterol values of the group visit participants .
IMPLICATION S FOR PRACTICE The evidence suggests that the most powerful model of Group medical visits ( GMV ) is when a clinician prescriber is present during or immediately after GMV sessions for medication reconciliation or individual patient needs .
BACKGROUND The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is ubiquitous .
Complications and costs of diabetes are rising and are depleting limited re sources .
It is imperative for healthcare professionals and patients alike to confront this chronic condition by exploring new interventions .
An innovative health care delivery model has emerged in the last 25 years in the form of the group medical visit .
Group medical visits can range from of six to twenty patients scheduled together with time allotted for individual care as well as in the group setting .
Evaluation of the effectiveness of an ambulatory teaching/treatment programme for non-insulin dependent (type 2) diabetic patients
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a structured teaching/treatment programme on the clinical and metabolic control of non-insulin-dependent ( type 2 ) diabetic patients . The programme was aim ed at improving the overall treatment quality in these patients through measures involving self-care , diet , exercise and weight reduction . Four theoretical-practical teaching units were given once a week to group of 5–8 ambulatory patients by previously trained general practitioners .  Clinical and biochemical parameters were recorded at the beginning of the course and 1 year after its completion in 40 patients attending the programme and in 39 patients of similar clinical characteristics under conventional diabetes treatment , but receiving no structured teaching before or during the survey period ( control group ) . The drop-out percentage in the intervention group ( 25 % ) was significantly lower than in the control group (45%),P<0.05 , suggesting an incentive toward greater compliance in the former . At the end of the 1-year follow-up , the mean differences observed in the control and in the intervention groups were : body weight loss −2.4±0.5 kg vs −0.4±0.5 ( P<0.001 ) ; haemoglobin HbA1 −0.2%±0.4 % vs + 0.8±0.4 % ( NS ) ; number of daily oral hypoglycaemic agent intake −1.4±0.2 vs + 0.9±0.2 tablets ( P<0.001 ) . Our results strongly suggest that this programme , applied through family doctors , may constitute an efficient tool to improve the compliance and clinico-metabolic control of type 2 patients at the primary health care level
The most significant effect observed is with the change from baseline results .
Some evidence suggests post-intervention and change from baseline systolic blood pressure improvement at the nine to twelve month interval and change from baseline improvement at the 4 year timeframe .
There is no evidence that group visits improve LDL cholesterol values of the group visit participants .
IMPLICATION S FOR PRACTICE The evidence suggests that the most powerful model of Group medical visits ( GMV ) is when a clinician prescriber is present during or immediately after GMV sessions for medication reconciliation or individual patient needs .
BACKGROUND The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is ubiquitous .
Complications and costs of diabetes are rising and are depleting limited re sources .
It is imperative for healthcare professionals and patients alike to confront this chronic condition by exploring new interventions .
An innovative health care delivery model has emerged in the last 25 years in the form of the group medical visit .
Group medical visits can range from of six to twenty patients scheduled together with time allotted for individual care as well as in the group setting .