The diabetes home visitation program

Objectives. To evaluate the impact of a 2-year, pharmacy students run, diabetes home visitation program for patients with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus. Methods. Eighty patients with poor glycemic control (Hb_A1C > 10%) were randomized to intervention (home visitations) or control (no intervention) groups. Two groups of selected fourth-year pharmacy students conducted monthly home visits with assigned patients for consecutive 1-year intervals. Results. Thirty patients completed the 2-year intervention; 40 patients comprised the control group. Mean baseline Hb_A1C levels of the treatment and control groups (11.2 ± 1.3% and 10.7 ± 1.6%, respectively) did not significantly change after 2 years (10.0 ± 2% and 9.9 ± 2.5%, respectively; P= 0.467). Two treatment group patients experienced a total of 2 ED visits compared to 11 control patients who had a total of 16 visits to a hospital emergency department (ED) (P =0.027 and 0.115, respectively). Thirteen treatment group patients experienced a total of 14 hospital admissions, compared to 20 control patients who had a total of 32 admissions (P = 0.58 and 0.292, respectively). Conclusion. Patients involved in a student-run diabetes home intervention program had significantly less ED visits than a control group.