However , overall there did not appear to be a significant difference between individual education and usual care .
In the small number of studies comparing group and individual education , there was an equal impact on HbA1c at 12 to 18 months .
BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes is a common and costly chronic disease which is associated with significant premature mortality and morbidity .
Although patient education is an integral component of diabetes care , there remain uncertainties regarding the effectiveness of different methods and modes of education .
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effectiveness of individual patient education  on metabolic control , diabetes knowledge and psychosocial outcomes .
The Diabetes Education Study: A Controlled Trial of the Effects of Diabetes Patient Education
The Diabetes Education Study ( DIABEDS ) was a r and omized , controlled trial of the effects of patient and physician education . This article describes a systematic education program for diabetes patients and its effects on patient knowledge , skills , self-care behaviors , and relevant physiologic outcomes . The original sample consisted of 532 diabetes patients from the general medicine clinic at an urban medical center . Patients were predominantly elderly , black women with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus of long duration . Patients r and omly assigned to experimental groups ( N = 263 ) were offered up to seven modules of patient education . Each content area module contained didactic instruction ( lecture , discussion , audio-visual presentation ) , skill exercises ( demonstration , practice , feedback ) , and behavioral modification techniques ( goal setting , contracting , regular follow-up ) .  Two hundred seventy-five patients remained in the study throughout baseline , intervention , and postintervention periods ( August 1978 to July 1982 ) . Despite the requirement that patients demonstrate mastery of educational objectives for each module , postintervention assessment 11–14 mo after instruction showed only rare differences between experimental and control patients in diabetes knowledge . However , statistically significant group differences in self-care skills and compliance behaviors were relatively more numerous . Experimental group patients experienced significantly greater reductions in fasting blood glucose ( −27.5 mg/dl versus −2.8 mg/dl , P < 0.05 ) and glycosylated hemoglobin ( −0.43 % versus + 0.35 % , P < 0.05 ) as compared with control subjects . Patient education also had similar effects on body weight , blood pressure , and serum creatinine . Continued follow-up is planned for DIABEDS patients to determine the longevity of effects and subsequent impact on emergency room visits and hospitalization
However , overall there did not appear to be a significant difference between individual education and usual care .
In the small number of studies comparing group and individual education , there was an equal impact on HbA1c at 12 to 18 months .
BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes is a common and costly chronic disease which is associated with significant premature mortality and morbidity .
Although patient education is an integral component of diabetes care , there remain uncertainties regarding the effectiveness of different methods and modes of education .
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effectiveness of individual patient education  on metabolic control , diabetes knowledge and psychosocial outcomes .