Health Research & Educational Trust of New Jersey (HRET)
Research
Ongoing Projects:
Dulce New Jersey: Diabetes Management Across Communities
HRET is implementing a project on diabetes management to address the challenges to comprehensive diabetes care in minority communities.
Dulce New Jersey: Diabetes Disease Management Program has adapted a model originally developed in California as “Project Dulce,” which demonstrated significant improvements in diabetes care outcomes among minority groups. Dulce New Jersey uses this community-based model of nurse-managed care and community health education/promotion strategies to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate tools patients need to manage their diabetes and monitor their progress, with the goal of improving the health outcomes of the state’s minorities with diabetes.
The project model includes:
- Nurse-managed clinical care, including a complete initial assessment and quarterly follow-up visits;
- Additional routine screening and services by a physician, dietitian, bilingual/ bicultural medical assistants and specialists (for eye, foot, etc.);
- Eight-week education courses, using a curriculum that promotes healthy lifestyles and addresses cultural beliefs in ineffective remedies, led by trained peer educators from the same communities and cultural/ethnic groups who have learned to effectively manage their own diabetes;
- Patient education and outreach materials in the common language of target communities (English and Spanish at pilot phase); and
- Case management by peer educators to help patients address barriers to project participation and diabetes self-management goals.
Dulce New Jersey’s project model is being piloted in three New Jersey sites over a two-year period – Saint Michael’s Medical Center and Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Essex County and St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Passaic County. Hispanics and African Americans with diabetes are the primary target communities in this pilot phase.
The project adheres to AACE/ADA standards of care and will evaluate patient outcomes resulting from both the clinical and educational interventions. Not only is this project expected to improve the health outcomes of the participants and empower them to self-manage their condition, but proper disease management will also reduce healthcare expenditures for diabetes and related complications.
This project is made possible by grants from the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey and Novartis Pharmaceuticals and additional support from Horizon Foundation for New Jersey and Novo Nordisk.
Join the NJHA Dulce NJ Communication Forum: Use of NJHA’s discussion forum is restricted to staff from New Jersey hospitals who are responsible for the Dulce New Jersey project. Apply for access to this discussion forum with NJHA's
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