Educating Medical Office Staff: Enhancing Diabetes Care in Primary Care Offices

Abstract

In Brief This article describes Joslin Diabetes SmartStart, a program through which the provision of educational materials and training to the office staff of primary care providers has resulted in improved clinical and behavioral patient outcomes. Certified diabetes educators provided participating clinics with basic diabetes education for clinical staff; a set of diabetes patient education flipcharts, booklets, and handouts in English and Spanish; and patient access to a call center. Positive outcomes included decreases in hemoglobin A1c and blood pressure levels and increases in patient-reported quality of life and confidence in diabetes self-management ability.