• Lyndee Knox, Jessica Huff, Deborah Graham, Michelle Henry, America Bracho, Cynthia Henderson, and Caroline Emsermann.
• LA Net Community Health Resource and Research Network, Los Angeles, California lyndee.knox@gmail.com.
• Ann Fam Med. 2015 Aug 1; 13 Suppl 1 (Suppl 1): S59S65S59-65.

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a peer support program on the health outcomes of patients already receiving well-organized, comprehensive diabetes care.MethodsWe used a mixed-methods, nonrandomized, control-group design to evaluate the impact of a peer-mentoring program on the health outcomes and self-management behaviors of adults with type 2 diabetes in 15 primary care practices in San Antonio. Propensity score analysis, t-tests, and multivariable repeated analyses were used to evaluate impact. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 participants in the intervention group and analyzed using a grounded theory approach.ResultsBoth intervention and control groups showed significant improvement on all health indicators from baseline to 6-month follow-up (P<.001). Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) decreased slightly faster for patients in the intervention group (P=.04). Self-management behaviors improved significantly from baseline to 6-month follow-up for the intervention group. Interviewed participants also reported reductions in social isolation and extension of impact of health behavior changes to multiple generations of family members.ConclusionsThe addition of peer mentoring to already well-organized comprehensive diabetes care does not improve outcomes. However, findings suggest that the impact of the program extends to members of the participants' families, which is an intriguing finding that deserves further study.© 2015 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.

25 keywords...

hide…