New Weapons in the Battle Against Type 2 Diabetes in Veterans: Shared Medical Appointments and Conversation Maps

Abstract: This quality improvement pilot study explored the effect of using Conversation Maps (CMs) during shared medical appointments (SMA) on diabetes knowledge, self-efficacy, self-management, and patient satisfaction in a convenience sample of older veterans with diabetes (N = 24). Participants attended 4 weekly 2-hour SMAs in which CMs were used. Veterans completed surveys at program start/end. Patient satisfaction was measured at week 4. Before and after survey scores affirmatively differed for diabetes knowledge, self-efficacy, and self-management; patients reported high satisfaction. Incorporation of CMs into SMAs suggests a favorable strategy for diabetes education of older military veterans.