Views of patients on a group diabetes education programme using motivational interviewing in South African primary care: a qualitative study

Process Evaluations of Diabetes Self-Management Programs: A Systematic Review of the Literature

OBJECTIVE

To conduct a systematic review of process evaluations (PEs) of diabetes self-management programs (DSMPs).

DATA SOURCE

An electronic search using Medline (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), CINAHL (Ensco), Academic Search (Ebsco), and APA PsycInfo (Ebsco).

STUDY INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA

Peer-reviewed, empirical quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-method studies were included if they (1) were a traditional, group-based DSMP, (2) involved adults at least 18 years with T1DM or T2DM, (3) were a stand-alone or embedded PE, and (4) published in English.

DATA EXTRACTION

The following process evaluation outcomes were extracted: fidelity, dose delivered, dose received, reach, recruitment, retention, and context. Additional items were extracted, (eg, process evaluation type, data collection methods; theories; frameworks or conceptual models used to guide the process evaluation, and etc).

DATA SYNTHESIS

Due to heterogeneity across studies, studies were synthesized qualitatively (narratively).

RESULTS

Sixty-eight studies (k) in 78 articles (n) (k = 68; n = 78) were included. Most were mixed methods of low quality. Studies were typically integrated into outcome evaluations vs being stand-alone, lacked theoretical approaches to guide them, and incorporated limited outcomes such as dose received, reach, and retention.

CONCLUSION

Future research should 1) implement stand-alone theoretically grounded PE studies and 2) provide a shared understanding of standardized guidelines to conduct PEs. This will allow public health practitioners and researchers to assess and compare the quality of different programs to be implemented.

Evaluating the implementation of group empowerment and training (GREAT) for diabetes in South Africa: convergent mixed methods

OBJECTIVE

Type 2 diabetes is a leading contributor to the burden of disease in South Africa. Primary care is struggling to support self-management and lifestyle change. Group empowerment and training (GREAT) for diabetes is a feasible and cost-effective intervention in our setting. This study aimed to evaluate the implementation of GREAT for diabetes.

DESIGN

A convergent mixed-methods study evaluated a range of implementation outcomes: acceptability, appropriateness, adoption, feasibility, fidelity, reach and cost.

SETTING

Ten primary care facilities from a district in all nine provinces of South Africa.

PARTICIPANTS

Descriptive exploratory individual semistructured interviews were conducted with 34 key stakeholders from national policy-makers to primary care providers. Three focus group interviews were held with 35 patients.

RESULTS

The National Department of Health saw GREAT as an acceptable and appropriate intervention, but only five of the nine provinces adopted GREAT. District-level and facility-level managers also saw GREAT as an acceptable and appropriate intervention. Factors related to feasibility included physical space, sufficient staff numbers, availability of resource materials, the health information system, adaptation to the model of care (selection of facilities, patients, adjustment of patient flow and appointment systems, leadership from local managers and the whole clinical team) and inclusion in systems for quality improvement. No major changes were made to the design of GREAT and fidelity to the session content ranged from 66% to 94%. Incremental costs were US$494 per facility. Due to disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic, only 14 facilities implemented and reached 588 patients at the time of evaluation.

CONCLUSION

Key lessons were learnt on how to implement GREAT for diabetes in a middle-income country setting. The findings informed the design of a programme theory using a health system framework. The programme theory will guide further scale-up in each province and scale-out to provinces that have not yet implemented.

QUESTION

This study focused on evaluating how to implement GREAT for type 2 diabetes in primary care and to take it to scale in South Africa.

FINDING

The findings led to a programme theory on how to successfully implement GREAT for diabetes in the South African context.

MEANING

The study demonstrates relevant contextual factors that need to be considered in the implementation of group diabetes education programme in a middle-income country.

The sustainability of group empowerment and training for people with diabetes in South Africa

BACKGROUND

Group empowerment and training (GREAT) for people with type 2 diabetes enables self-management and lifestyle modification. GREAT for diabetes was implemented in primary care facilities in five South African provinces in the beginning of 2022. The aim was to evaluate implementation and to particularly explore factors that influenced the sustainability of implementation.

METHODS

An exploratory, descriptive qualitative study conducted semi-structured individual interviews with 17 key stakeholders at the end of 2023. Interviews explored factors within a theory of change framework derived from an initial evaluation in 2022. Data were analysed using the framework method and ATLAS.ti.

RESULTS

Implementation and scale-up was sustained in the Western Cape. Governance and financing at a provincial and district level were key to health system structures. Space, staffing, resource materials and monitoring of implementation were key to the inputs. Facility managers, training and performance of facilitators, including the whole team, selecting patients, patient flow and appointments, stakeholder support and clinical governance were key to service delivery. Facilities that had implemented, reported reaching 300 patients per year. A range of motivational, behavioural and clinical outcomes were reported. Future implementation could include community health workers and group empowerment for insulin initiation.

CONCLUSION

Implementation and scale-up was only sustained in one province and a range of factors related to sustained implementation were identified.Contribution: The factors identified can guide the successful implementation and scale-up of GREAT for diabetes in South Africa.

Physical activity containing behavioural interventions for adults living with modifiable chronic non-communicable diseases in Africa: a systematic mixed-studies review

Background

Physical activity improves physiological, cognitive and psychosocial functioning in chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This study reviewed papers on the effects and patients' experiences of physical activity interventions for chronic NCDs in Africa.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review of clinical and qualitative studies by searching eight bibliographic databases and grey literature until 19 April 2017. The mixed-methods appraisal and Cochrane Collaboration's tools were used for quality and risk of bias assessments. Three-stage sequential explanatory syntheses were done.

Results

One randomized controlled trial (RCT), two non-controlled before and after studies and two qualitative studies of diabetic South African and Reunion patients were included. Exercise and sports unrelated to home and occupational activities were increased in the long term (1 year, moderate quality evidence) and short term immediately after a 4-week intervention (low quality evidence). There was conflicting evidence of intervention effects on home and occupational physical activities. Behaviour-change techniques improving chronic disease knowledge, addressing environmental barriers and stimulating/supporting physical activity were important to patients. Procedure-related components-health professional training and adequate health facilities-were important to patients, but were not addressed.

Conclusion

High quality RCTs are needed to confirm the intervention components for improving physical activity for chronic NCD management in Africa.

Evaluation of a training programme for primary care providers to offer brief behaviour change counselling on risk factors for non-communicable diseases in South Africa

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect on clinical practice of training primary care providers (PCPs) in an approach to brief behaviour change counselling (BBCC), integrating the 5As (ask, alert, assess, assist, arrange) with a guiding style derived from motivational interviewing in the South African context. BBCC was focused on the four risky behaviours (unhealthy eating, tobacco smoking, physical inactivity, harmful alcohol use) for non-communicable diseases.

METHODS

It was a before-and-after design, recording BBCC skills at baseline, directly after training and 6-weeks later. We evaluated each recording for adherence to the guiding style and delivery of the 5As using the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity 3.1.1. tool, and a tool based on the 5As training design.

RESULTS

123 recordings were collected from 41 PCPs. Results showed a significant improvement in adoption of the guiding style (e.g. global score at baseline 2.0 (2.0-2.6) and in clinical practice 3.0 (2.7-3.3) p<0.001) and completion of the 5A steps (e.g. assist score at baseline 1.26 (1.12-1.4) and in clinical practice 1.75 (1.61-1.89) p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

Training PCPs in this approach to BBCC is effective at changing their clinical practice in the short term.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

The training programme should be integrated into the curricula of PCPs, and used in continuing professional development.

Cost-effectiveness of a diabetes group education program delivered by health promoters with a guiding style in underserved communities in Cape Town, South Africa

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a group diabetes education program delivered by health promoters in community health centers in the Western Cape, South Africa.

METHODS

The effectiveness of the education program was derived from the outcomes of a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT). Incremental operational costs of the intervention, as implemented in the trial, were calculated. All these data were entered into a Markov micro-simulation model to simulate clinical outcomes and health costs that were expressed as an Incremental Cost Effectiveness Ratio (ICER).

RESULTS

The only significant effect from the RCT at one year was a reduction in blood pressure (systolic blood pressure -4.65 mmHg (95%CI:-9.18 to -0.12) and diastolic blood pressure -3.30 mmHg (95%CI:-5.35 to -1.26)). The ICER for the intervention, based on the assumption that the costs would recur every year and the effect could be maintained, was 1862 $/QALY gained.

CONCLUSION

A structured group education program performed by mid-level trained healthcare workers at community health centers, for the management of Type II diabetes in the Western Cape, South Africa is therefore cost-effective.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

This cost-effectiveness analysis supports the more widespread implementation of this intervention in primary care within South Africa.

Effectiveness of a group diabetes education programme in under-served communities in South Africa: a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial

AIM

To evaluate the effectiveness of group education, led by health promoters using a guiding style, for people with type 2 diabetes in public sector community health centres in Cape Town.

METHODS

This was a pragmatic clustered randomized controlled trial with 17 randomly selected intervention and 17 control sites. A total of 860 patients with type 2 diabetes, regardless of therapy used, were recruited from the control sites and 710 were recruited from the intervention sites. The control sites offered usual care, while the intervention sites offered a total of four monthly sessions of group diabetes education led by a health promoter. Participants were measured at baseline and 12 months later. Primary outcomes were diabetes self-care activities, 5% weight loss and a 1% reduction in HbA(1c) levels. Secondary outcomes were self-efficacy, locus of control, mean blood pressure, mean weight loss, mean waist circumference, mean HbA1c and mean total cholesterol levels and quality of life.

RESULTS

A total of 422 (59.4%) participants in the intervention group did not attend any education sessions. No significant improvement was found in any of the primary or secondary outcomes, apart from a significant reduction in mean systolic (-4.65 mmHg, 95% CI 9.18 to -0.12; P = 0.04) and diastolic blood pressure (-3.30 mmHg, 95% CI -5.35 to -1.26; P = 0.002). Process evaluation suggested that there were problems with finding suitable space for group education in these under-resourced settings, with patient attendance and with full adoption of a guiding style by the health promoters.

CONCLUSION

The reported effectiveness of group diabetes education offered by more highly trained professionals, in well-resourced settings, was not replicated in the present study, although the reduction in participants' mean blood pressure is likely to be of clinical significance.