Marylyn M. McEwen, PhD, APRN, BC¹, Marion K. Slack, PhD², and Irene A. Gutierrez, BS². (1) College of Nursing, University of Arizona, PO Box 210203, Tucson, AZ 85721-0203, 520-626-6926, mmcewen@nursing.arizona.edu, (2) Pharmacy Practice and Science, College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona, P.O. Box 210207, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721-0207

Diabetes represents a major health disparity in the U.S. Hispanic population; 24% of Mexican Americans between 45 - 74 have diabetes. We report on outcome data from an interdisciplinary case management program at the U.S.-Mexico border. Based on the Omaha Systems Model, interdisciplinary teams of health professions students provide comprehensive services to a high-risk group of Hispanics diagnosed with and/or are at risk of developing diabetes. Students from the disciplines of nursing (N=13), pharmacy (N=17), social work (N=8), public health (N=7), nutrition (N=9), and medicine (N=1) provided services to 56 clients over a three-year period. The study population was 98% Hispanic, predominantly Catholic (80%), and while 29% had graduated from high school, 20% had less than a 7th grade education. The most frequently identified problems were in the psychosocial domain (33 %), while the health related behaviors domain accounted for (30%), physiologic (23%), and environment (14%). The mean number of problems identified per client was 7.3. Students provided a total of 866 interventions of which 44% were teaching, 31% case management, and 22% were surveillance. The average number of interventions per client was 15.5. Client outcomes assessed through the concepts of knowledge, behavior and status demonstrated significant (p< 0.05) improvements in all of the domains except for status in the physiological domain. We conclude that in a vulnerable Mexican American population the Omaha Systems Model facilitates comprehensive interdisciplinary case management that yields significant improvement in client outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss the use of the Omaha Systems Model for interdisciplinary case management with Hispanics diagnosed with and/or at risk of developing diabetes.
• Identify the factors that contribute to diabetes health disparities in a select group of Hispanics at the US-Mexico border.
• Discuss interventions that contribute to improved client outcomes and reducing diabetes health disparities in a select client population.

Keywords: Health Disparities, Diabetes

Related Web page: www.pharmacy.arizona.edu/outreach/ncns/idtraining/ncns.shtml

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.