The intervention was based in the Innovative Care for
Chronic Conditions Framework.
23
This model is an
adaptation of the Chronic Care Model designed
by Wagner et al.
24
to improve the control of chronic
diseases.
Family members were encouraged to be involved in
the care of their diabetic relatives (Fig. 1). By the end
of the intervention, each patient should have had participated
in two interdisciplinary family meetings or
home visits where providers talked about family or
other psychosocial factors that could interfere with
their diabetes control. These activities were guided
through semi-structured interviews, and at the end of
the activities, patients and relatives signed an agreement
making a commitment to change. To reinforce
the importance of the family, during home visits, families
received a recipe book for diabetes and during family
meetings, they received a framed family picture. In
addition, patients had to receive at least one individual
counselling session and one counselling session with
their relatives where the importance of family support
strategies were discussed. Also, during the 12-month
intervention period, patients and relatives were encouraged
to attend multifamily group sessions, where health
behaviours and control strategies were discussed.
All providers of the intervention clinic were trained
in motivational interviewing and family counselling
and clinicians that guided multifamily groups were
trained in participative education for adults. Reports
about the fulfilment of the intervention and motivational
activities were carried out monthly, where
health care teams that had the highest execution were
awarded.
As part of the intervention, the organization of the
clinic changed towards a family-oriented health centre.
All members of the health care team promoted family
participation in the care of T2DM patients. As example,
medical assistants, pharmacists and administrative
staff counselled patients and family members when
measuring vital signs, dispensing medications or making
appointments. Control patients only received the
usual care according to the guidelines for T2DM of
the Chilean Ministry of Health.