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 .
Evaluating a problem-based empowerment program for African Americans with diabetes: results of a randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of a problem-based empowerment patient education program specifically tailored for urban African Americans with type 2 diabetes . RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The study used a r and omized controlled trial ( RCT ) pretest/post-test design with repeated measures . Patients were r and omly assigned to either a six-week intervention group or a six-week wait-listed control group . After completing the six sessions , patients were invited to participate in one of two follow-up conditions ; attend a monthly support group or receive a monthly phone call from a nurse . Assessment measures included HbA1C , lipids , blood pressure , weight , self-management behavior and psychosocial adaptation . RESULTS Both control and intervention patients showed a broad array of small-to-modest positive changes during the six-week RCT . These gains were maintained or improved upon during the one-year follow-up period . For patients in the two follow-up conditions , a positive correlation was seen between the number of follow-up contacts and their one-year HbA1C values . CONCLUSIONS We believe that results of this study can be attributed to volunteer bias , study effects ( ie , providing study data on several occasions to patients and their physicians during the one-year study period ) , and impact of the interventions . However , the study design does not allow us to examine the relative impact of these three factors on the patient improvements seen over the one-year study period
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 .