"Community Program Helps Bangladeshi Patients In NYC Manage Diabetes" - Marilynn Larkin
A community-based, patient-centered intervention called DREAM led to improvements in the management of type 2 diabetes among Bangladeshi immigrants in New York City, researchers say. Reshmi Srinath, MD, assistant professor of medicine, endocrinology, diabetes and bone disease and director of the weight and metabolism program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, said, "Diabetes management can be really challenging for physicians when there are language and health literacy barriers, and this study supports the concept of having a diabetes team which may include nurses, nurse practitioners, and community health workers to assist with patient care." She added that the study also supports the concept that the more face-to-face time with the healthcare team, the better the outcome with diabetes. Expressing surprise that there were no significant differences in some of the outcomes between groups, Dr. Srinath suggested that "there may have been a placebo effect in the control group; just by being enrolled in the study, they were more focused on improving their diabetes."
- Reshmi Srinath, MD, Assistant Professor, Medicine, Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Disease, Director, Weight and Metabolism Management Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai