Effectiveness of a Structured 2-Year Diabetes Health Education Program of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Disease-Related Serum Markers

Abstract

Introduction: Previous studies on the impact of diabetes education on disease management have shown that different educational approaches yield varying degrees of effectiveness across different populations. Adopting face-to-face education with long-term follow-up not only allows for monitoring changes in numerical values but also facilitates the observation of patients' learning status.

Methods: This study investigates the impact of a two-year structured Diabetes Health Education (DHE) program on disease-related serum markers in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A five-year observational cohort study with retrospective analysis was conducted, involving 1,080 participants who completed the DHE program and 192 non-participants.

Results: The DHE program included regular educational sessions every three months, covering topics such as blood glucose management, lipid profiles, and healthy lifestyle practices. Results demonstrated significant improvements among DHE participants: HbA1c levels decreased by 37%, fasting glucose by 4%, total cholesterol by 7%, LDL cholesterol by 13%, and triglycerides by 20%, with HDL cholesterol increasing by 3%. Body weight and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) also showed reductions of 4% and 3%, respectively, while systolic blood pressure (SBP) exhibited no significant changes. The improvements in lipid profiles were evident within six months, whereas glycemic markers required at least 1.5 years to achieve significance.

Conclusion: These results suggest that a structured DHE program significantly improves glycemic control, lipid profile, and other metabolic-related markers in patients with T2DM. Notably, HbA1c and fasting glucose levels significantly improved after 1.5 years of consistent DHE participation, highlighting the importance of long-term engagement for glycemic benefits.

Keywords: diabetes health education program; structured 2-years diabetes program; type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Figure 1

Process flow for participants enrolled in the Diabetes Health Education program.

Figure 2

Changes from baseline at the 5-year follow-up in (a) glucose AC, glucose PC, and HbA1c, (b) body weight and blood pressure, (c) TC, LDL, HDL, and TG levels among participants who consistently received Diabetes Health Education interventions. *:p<0.05;**:p<0.01;***:p<0.001.

Figure 3

Integration of a multidisciplinary team, comprising certified diabetes educators, nurses, nutritionists, doctors, and pharmacists, into Diabetes Health Education improves patient outcomes by optimizing blood glucose levels, HbA1c, lipid profile, and blood pressure. *:p<0.05;**:p<0.01;***:p<0.001.

Figure 4

In this educational model, we engaged a multidisciplinary team consisting of physicians, dietitians, nurses, and diabetes educators, working collaboratively to ensure the highest quality of education.