PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Laura Housden
AU  - Sabrina T. Wong
AU  - Martin Dawes
TI  - Effectiveness of group medical visits for improving diabetes care: a systematic review and meta-analysis
AID  - 10.1503/cmaj.130053
DP  - 2013 Sep 17
TA  - Canadian Medical Association Journal
PG  - E635--E644
VI  - 185
IP  - 13
4099  - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/185/13/E635.short
4100  - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/185/13/E635.full
SO  - CMAJ2013 Sep 17; 185
AB  - Background: Group medical visits, whereby health care professionals meet with groups of patients who have the same disease, have been introduced in primary care as a way to meet the increasing demand for health care delivery to patients with chronic diseases. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence on the effectiveness of such visits for patients with diabetes.Methods: We conducted a systematic review of all relevant studies published from 1947 to February 2012 identified in a search of electronic databases and grey literature. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies published in English that included patients aged 16–80 years with type 1 or 2 diabetes and that had group medical visits as the intervention. These studies were assessed for methodologic quality. We included data only from the RCTs in the meta-analysis.Results: Of the 94 studies identified, we selected 26 that met our inclusion criteria, 13 of which were RCTs. Group medical visits had a positive effect on clinical and patient-reported outcomes, with significant reductions in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c reduction −0.46%, 95% confidence interval −0.80% to −0.31%). We were unable to assess the effect of group medical visits on processes of care because of an insufficient number of RCTs that reported on this outcome.Interpretation: Group medical visits for patients with diabetes were found to be effective in terms of reducing HbA1c. The results of our meta-analysis suggest that wider implementation of group medical visits for patients with diabetes will have a positive effect on patient outcomes.