NCT01017523

Diabetes Support Project: Couples Intervention

Improving Diabetes Outcome: The Diabetes Support Project

• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 3
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 268 (actual)
• Sponsor: State University of New York - Upstate Medical University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 21 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Research has shown that diabetes affects both the patient and family, and that support from family and partners helps diabetes patients manage their illness better. However, diabetes programs rarely involve the partner. The purpose of this study is to test an intervention that helps partners and patients who have type 2 diabetes better support each other. The intervention will be delivered over the telephone to reach more people. Our hypothesis is that an intervention that targets the couple has a greater effect on health and well-being of patients than one that targets the individual patient alone.

Detailed description

Diabetes is a serious illness that affects an estimated 7% of the US population, and is associated with life-threatening and disabling complications. Research has shown that diabetes affects both the patient and family, and that support from one's spouse has been found to be the most important source of support during illness episodes. Research clearly shows that marital interaction, i.e., how the support is given and received, impacts both marital quality and health functioning. Despite the acknowledged importance of social support, the vast majority of chronic illness interventions target the individual patient. Telephone counseling has been effectively used to enhance feasibility and target patients with many illnesses, and has many benefits including low cost, decreased subject burden, and the ability to reach a broader population. This study proposes a study of a telephone-administered behavior change that promotes couples communication and collaboration.

Conditions

• Type 2 Diabetes

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Telephone support and behavior change	Diabetes self-management education provided over the telephone either for individual or couples
OTHER	Diabetes self-management education	Limited diabetes self-management education provided over the telephone, serves as an enhanced usual care control intervention

Timeline

• Start date: 2010-01-01
• Primary completion: 2015-01-01
• Completion: 2015-01-01
• First posted: 2009-11-20
• Last updated: 2015-05-22

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: United States