What Are Group Visits?
The American Diabetes Association recommends all patients receive ongoing education and psychosocial support to help manage their diabetes. During traditional one-on-one appointments, primary care clinicians’ ability to provide education and support is constrained. Within short visits, there are many acute, chronic, and preventive health concerns to be addressed. Alternative approaches are needed to improve diabetes care.
What are group visits?
Group visits are shared medical appointments during which patients with a common disease receive medical care, education, and social support—all within one visit to the health center. A one-stop shop!
Group visits are an innovative model of care with supporting evidence from numerous research studies. Benefits of group visits include improved patient outcomes, better quality of care, and higher patient and staff satisfaction.
The format and content of group visits can be tailored to meet the needs of health centers and their patients. The model is financially sustainable because patients have billable individual medical assessments during the group visit.
Group visits are not…
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- Diabetes classes. While group visits should include educational discussions and activities, group interaction is prioritized over didactic instruction. Ideally, patients learn not only from the clinicians and staff facilitating the visit, but also from their peers.
- Support groups. Group visits should absolutely provide social support! Social support can help reinforce healthy behaviors and emotional wellbeing. At the same time, it is important to emphasize that group visits are medical appointments for clinical assessment and treatment adjustment to improve diabetes management.