Nurse care manager collaboration with community-based physicians providing diabetes care - A randomized controlled trial

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the potential value of close collaboration at the office level of a nurse care manager with community-based primary care physicians in the care of adult patients with type 2 diabetes, particularly those physicians not affiliated with an integrated care system that some managed care organizations provide. METHODS Patients with type 2 diabetes were recruited from the general population of a large metropolitan area. Each received a comprehensive evaluation of his or her diabetes with results reported to patients and their physicians (basic intervention). A random one-half of patients were additionally assigned to individual counseling, problem identification, care planning, and management recommendations by a nurse care manager (individualized intervention). The patients receiving only the basic intervention served as the control group to those receiving the individualized intervention. Re-evaluation of all patients at 6 months after their entry into the study determined the effectiveness of the nurse-directed individualized intervention using A1C, blood pressure, and cholesterol as outcome measures. RESULTS Of 220 patients recruited, 197 had type 2 diabetes, randomly assigned only the basic intervention (102 patients) or individualized intervention (95 patients). Postintervention data were obtained on 164 patients (83%). Significant improvement occurred in mean systolic blood pressure and A1C of all patients in the individualized but not the basic intervention only group. Patients with a systolic blood pressure >= 130 mm Hg at baseline showed improvement if they had more than 2 contacts with the study nurse but not if they had less than 2 contacts. CONCLUSIONS A nurse care manager collaborating at the office level with community-based primary care physicians can enhance the care provided to adult patients with type 2 diabetes. For those many physicians not affiliated with an integrated care system featured by some managed care organizations, this collaboration could underlie a team approach (nurse/patient/physician) for the ambulatory patient with diabetes that would be an essential element in a chronic disease model of care for diabetes at the community level.