Diabetes is of increasing public health concern in Alabama due to high prevalence, incidence, and mortality rates. It was estimated that direct medical expenses for those diagnosed with diabetes in Alabama were about $4.2 billion in 2021 (American Diabetes Association, 2021). Due to the overall burden of the disease, there has been an increased focus on developing innovative strategies such as community-based interventions and diabetes education. The project aims to improve participation, retention, engagement, and clinical outcomes (HbA1C) of adults aged 18 and over living with diabetes in Jefferson County, Alabama in diabetes self-management education and support programs where the population lives, works, and plays. Leveraging a dynamic, multi-directional recruitment model through a collaborative partnership with community health workers (CHWs) and local primary care providers and a diabetes-related mobile application, the investigators plan to test, via a randomized controlled trial (RCT), the combined effects of a community health worker-led, muli-directional recruitment process versus a traditional recruiting process involving flyers, word-of-mouth, and media ads. The investigators also propose to assess the effectiveness of adding a diabetes-related mobile application (HICO Health) that, through a user-friendly interface, allows patients to review on-demand, evidence-based videos, nutrition education, and behavior change surveys to supplement standard DSMES curriculum, as well as a tool to collect patient entered clinical data such as blood pressure and blood sugar readings. The HICO Health package also includes a provider dashboard that allows the diabetes care team to monitor, in real-time, patient clinical data as well as communicate to patients via the HIPAA-compliant messaging function. The specific aims of the study are as follows: Aim 1: To examine the effectiveness of utilizing a multi-directional recruitment model involving community health workers and primary care providers versus traditional recruitment methods (including using flyers, word of mouth, and media ads) to recruit people living with diabetes into a pharmacist-led DSMES program. Aim 2: To conduct a pilot/feasibility study comparing using the HICO Health app as a supplement to a standard DSMES curriculum to improve patient participation, retention, and patient clinical outcomes in a pharmacist-led DSMES program versus the standard DSMES alone in Jefferson County, AL. Throughout the project, the study team and the diabetes care team will frequently communicate with the study stakeholders to seek input on relevant aspects of the study such as the engagement of CHWs, the stakeholders' perspective on the recruitment process, the number of participants referred and enrolled, and the clinical outcomes of the participants, to name a few. The evidence from the study will play a crucial role in establishing scalable and sustainable DSMES recruitment and delivery models to not only increase accessibility, participation, and retention in DSMES programs but also improve clinical outcomes in people living with diabetes in Jefferson County.
