Developing a Curriculum Framework for Shared Medical Appointments Utilized in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes

Currently, healthcare providers in the United States are challenged in providing highquality diabetes care due to the overburdened healthcare climate. The shared medical appointments (SMAs) model is an innovative solution to address the chronic nature of Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) and provide patients with comprehensive, cost-effective, and personalized care. SMAs combine both medical appointments and disease management education geared towards diagnosing knowledge gaps and equipping patients with strategies to meet their healthcare goals. Literature shows that SMAs have been effective in lowering A1c, blood pressure, and lipid levels. However, literature also shows that SMAs for T2DM vary widely in their curriculum designs. This project aims to complete a literature review that examines SMA curriculums in T2DM patients and propose a new curriculum framework that is customizable to diverse patient populations. This new curriculum design will be implemented in a community clinic in Dallas, TX to examine feasibility and patient outcomes.