A BRIEF OFFICE-BASED INTERVENTION TO FACILITATE DIABETES DIETARY SELF-MANAGEMENT

There is a pressing need for brief, practical interventions that addre ss diabetes management, We have developed an office-based intervention to prompt both patients and providers to focus on behavioral issues r elevant to dietary self-management that is being evaluated in a random ized trial. The intervention is designed to be broadly applicable to t he majority of adult diabetes outpatients during medical visits; uses touchscreen computer assessment to provide immediate feedback on key i ssues to patients and providers just prior to their interaction; and p rovides goal setting and problem-solving assistance to patients follow ing their meeting with the physician, Follow-up components include pho ne calls and videotape or interactive video instruction as needed, The program is described, and demographic and behavioral characteristics of participants are presented for the first 95 patients randomized. In itial process results suggest success in producing modest, targeted be havior changes among a broad cross-section of patients. If the long-te rm results are equally positive, this intervention could provide a pro totype for a feasible, cost-effective way to integrate patient views a nd behavioral management into office-based care for diabetes.