Field Placement: UCLA/Drew Center for Health Improvement for Minority Elders (CHIME)
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Preceptor: Dr. Carol Mangione
Student Name: Daniel Craddock
Year: 2003

Diabetes Self-Empowerment Study

UCLA/Drew Center for Health Improvement for Minority Elders (CHIME) is a research and mentoring program that ultimately contribute to the reduction in health disparities for African American and Latino Elders by training and mentorship of minority faculty who will advance their careers by conducting research on a minority geriatric population.

The UCLA GIM-HSR/Drew research team is implementing a Diabetes Self-Empowerment study for elderly African-American and Latinos in urban communities. The study is designed to delivery a low-cost self-empowerment model to improve patient self-efficacy and diabetes management. The study was adapted from Anderson RM, and Funnell MM's Diabetes Self-Empowerment Study implemented at the Michigan Diabetes Research and Training Center. Their study design targeted working aging adults in urban settings.

At the beginning of the twelve-month study, 650 patients (50 in the pilot study) are randomized to the control and intervention group. Baseline date will be recorded for both the intervention and control group. Baseline date will be collected using a partial physical exam, Hba1c test, urine analysis, and 30-45 questionnaire includes, The intervention group receives 6-weeks of two-hour workshops. The intervention and control group is then followed six-months after the intervention workshops are completed , they will partial physical exam, Hba1c test, urine analysis, and 30-45 questionnaire.

The study is implemented at centers that are local to community participants. Currently a second pilot study is ran at the Willobrook Senior Center. Future studies will include additional community based centers and senior centers in the south and southeast Los Angeles area. We are targeting these centers to provide easy access for high risk African-American and Latino elderly residents.

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