Reach and Effectiveness of Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support in a Network of Federally Qualified Health Centers

Diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) is an evidence based intervention to improve diabetes-related outcomes. Access to DSMES is limited for diverse and low-income groups, despite greater need for services to address health disparities. Providing DSMES in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) may increase reach for priority populations, and further study is needed to evaluate this delivery model. This report examines program effectiveness, including outcomes by race/ ethnicity and Medicaid status, among 1,247 enrollees in FQHC- based DSMES. There was substantial glycated hemoglobin (A1c) improvement overall (- 0.98%) among a diverse, majority-Medicaid population. However, Medicaid beneficiaries were approximately half as likely to attend as other enrollees (p<.001), while Latinx and non-Latinx Black participants attended fewer sessions (p=.008 and p=.040, respectively). Additionally, Medicaid beneficiaries experienced less A1c improvement than others (p=.040). Findings are promising that FQHC- based delivery can increase access to high-quality DSMES, although further effort appears needed to ensure optimal outcomes for all.