Long-Term Effects of Financial Incentives for General Practitioners on Quality Indicators in the Treatment of Patients With Diabetes Mellitus in Primary Care—A Follow-Up Analysis of a Cluster Randomized Parallel Controlled Trial

Background: The effect of financial incentives on the quality of primary care is of high interest, and so is its sustainability after financial incentives are withdrawn.Objective: To assess both long-term effects and sustainability of financial incentives for general practitioners (GPs) in the treatment of patients with diabetes mellitus based on quality indicators (QIs) calculated from routine data from electronic medical records.Design/Participants: Randomized controlled trial using routine data from electronic medical records of patients with diabetes mellitus of Swiss GPs.Intervention: During the study period of 24 months, all GPs received bimonthly feedback reports with information on their actual treatment as reflected in QIs. In the intervention group, the reports were combined with financial incentives for quality improvement. The incentive was stopped after 12 months.Measurements: Proportion of patients meeting the process QI of annual HbA1c measurements and the clinical QI of blood pressure levels below 140/85 mmHg.Results: A total of 71 GPs from 43 different practices were included along with 3,854 of their patients with diabetes mellitus. Throughout the study, the proportion of patients with annual HbA1c measurements was stable in the intervention group (78.8–78.9%) and decreased slightly in the control group (81.5–80.2%) [odds ratio (OR): 1.21; 95% CI: 1.04–1.42, p < 0.05]. The proportion of patients achieving blood pressure levels below 140/85 mmHg decreased in the control group (51.2–47.2%) and increased in the intervention group (49.7–51.9%) (OR: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.04–1.35, p < 0.05) where it peaked at 54.9% after 18 months and decreased steadily over the last 6 months.Conclusion: After the withdrawal of financial incentives for the GPs after 12 months, some QIs still improved, indicating that 1 year might be too short to observe the full effect of such interventions. The decrease in QI achievement rates after 18 months suggests that the positive effects of time-limited financial incentives eventually wane.

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The Effect of Financial Incentives on Quality Measures in the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Journal of General Internal Medicine ◽

10.1007/s11606-021-06714-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Rahel Meier ◽

Corinne Chmiel ◽

Fabio Valeri ◽

Leander Muheim ◽

Oliver Senn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Blood Pressure ◽

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Financial Incentives ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Quality Measures ◽

Control Group ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Patients With Diabetes

Abstract Background Financial incentives are often used to improve quality of care in chronic care patients. However, the evidence concerning the effect of financial incentives is still inconclusive. Objective To test the effect of financial incentives on quality measures (QMs) in the treatment of patients with diabetes mellitus in primary care. We incentivized a clinical QM and a process QM to test the effect of financial incentives on different types of QMs and to investigate the spill-over effect on non-incentivized QMs. Design/Participants Parallel cluster randomized controlled trial based on electronic medical records database involving Swiss general practitioners (GPs). Practices were randomly allocated. Intervention All participants received a bimonthly feedback report. The intervention group additionally received potential financial incentives on GP level depending on their performance. Main Measures Between-group differences in proportions of patients fulfilling incentivized QM (process QM of annual HbA1c measurement and clinical QM of blood pressure level below 140/95 mmHg) after 12 months. Key Results Seventy-one GPs (median age 52 years, 72% male) from 43 different practices and subsequently 3838 patients with diabetes mellitus (median age 70 years, 57% male) were included. Proportions of patients with annual HbA1c measurements remained unchanged (intervention group decreased from 79.0 to 78.3%, control group from 81.5 to 81.0%, OR 1.09, 95% CI 0.90–1.32, p = 0.39). Proportions of patients with blood pressure below 140/95 improved from 49.9 to 52.5% in the intervention group and decreased from 51.2 to 49.0% in the control group (OR 1.16, 95% CI 0.99–1.36, p = 0.06). Proportions of non-incentivized process QMs increased significantly in the intervention group. Conclusion GP level financial incentives did not result in more frequent HbA1c measurements or in improved blood pressure control. Interestingly, we could confirm a spill-over effect on non-incentivized process QMs. Yet, the mechanism of spill-over effects of financial incentives is largely unclear. Trial Registration ISRCTN13305645

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Yoga intervention and reminder e-mails for reducing cancer-related fatigue - a study protocol of a randomized controlled trial

BMC Psychology ◽

10.1186/s40359-019-0339-3 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Teresa Zetzl ◽

Michael Schuler ◽

Agnes Renner ◽

Elisabeth Jentschke ◽

Birgitt van Oorschot

Keyword(s):

Cancer Patients ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Control Group ◽

Routine Practice ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Exercise Frequency ◽

Yoga Therapy ◽

Cancer Related Fatigue

Abstract Background Almost 90% of cancer patients suffer from symptoms of fatigue during treatment. Supporting treatments are increasingly used to alleviate the burden of fatigue. This study examines the short-term and long-term effects of yoga on fatigue and the effect of weekly reminder e-mails on exercise frequency and fatigue symptoms. Methods The aim of the first part of the study will evaluate the effectiveness of yoga for cancer patients with mixed diagnoses reporting fatigue. We will randomly allocate 128 patients to an intervention group (N = 64) receiving yoga and a wait-list control group (N = 64) receiving yoga 9 weeks later. The yoga therapy will be performed in weekly sessions of 60 min each for 8 weeks. The primary outcome will be self-reported fatigue symptoms. In the second part of the study, the effectiveness of reminder e-mails with regard to the exercise frequency and self-reported fatigue symptoms will be evaluated. A randomized allocated group of the participants (“email”) receives weekly reminder e-mails, the other group does not. Data will be assessed using questionnaires the beginning and after yoga therapy as well as after 6 months. Discussion Support of patients suffering from fatigue is an important goal in cancer patients care. If yoga therapy will reduce fatigue, this type of therapy may be introduced into routine practice. If the reminder e-mails prove to be helpful, new offers for patients may also develop from this. Trial registration German Clincial Trials Register (DRKS00016034, 12/2018), retrospectively registered.

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Long-term effects of daily postprandial physical activity on blood glucose: a randomized controlled trial

Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism ◽

10.1139/apnm-2016-0467 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 42 (4) ◽

pp. 430-437

Author(s):

Håvard Nygaard ◽

Eirik Grindaker ◽

Bent Ronny Rønnestad ◽

Gerd Holmboe-Ottesen ◽

Arne Torbjørn Høstmark

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Blood Glucose ◽

High Risk ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Control Group ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Post Test

Previous studies have shown that a bout of moderate or light postprandial physical activity effectively blunts the postprandial increase in blood glucose. The objective of this study was to test whether regular light postprandial physical activity can improve glycemia in persons with hyperglycemia or with a high risk of hyperglycemia. We randomized 56 participants to an intervention or a control group. They were diagnosed as hyperglycemic, not using antidiabetics, or were categorized as high-risk individuals for type 2 diabetes. The intervention group was instructed to undertake a minimum 30 min of daily light physical activity, starting a maximum of 30 min after a meal in addition to their usual physical activity for 12 weeks. The control group maintained their usual lifestyle. Blood samples were taken pre- and post-test. Forty participants completed the study and are included in the results. The self-reported increase in daily physical activity from before to within the study period was higher in the intervention group compared with control (41 ± 25 vs. 2 ± 16 min, p < 0.001). Activity diaries and accelerometer recordings supported this observation. The activity in the intervention group started earlier after the last meal compared with control (30 ± 13 vs. 100 ± 57 min, p = 0.001). There were no within- or between-group differences in any glycemic variable from pre- to post-test. In conclusion, the present study does not seem to support the notion that regular light postprandial physical activity improves blood glucose in the long term in persons with hyperglycemia or with high risk of hyperglycemia.

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SUPPORTIVE EDUCATIVE SYSTEM DALAM MENINGKATKAN KEMANDIRIAN MERAWAT KAKI PADA PASIEN DIABETES MELLITUS TIPE II

Jurnal Ilmiah Permas: Jurnal Ilmiah STIKES Kendal ◽

10.32583/pskm.9.2.2019.63-72 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 63-72

Author(s):

Nova Nurwinda Sari ◽

Herlina Herlina

Keyword(s):

Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Health Center ◽

Intervention Group ◽

T Test ◽

Control Group ◽

P Value ◽

Type Ii ◽

Foot Care ◽

Control Group Design ◽

Patients With Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus dapat menyebabkan cukup banyak komplikasi seperti kelainan mata, kelainan ginjal, kelainan pembuluh darah dan kelainan pada kaki. Penderita diabetes mellitus yang mengalami komplikasi kronis perlu diberikan upaya preventif untuk mencegah komplikasi, salah satunya adalah kemampuan perawatan kaki. Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk menguji efektivitas supportive educative system dalam meningkatkan kemandirian perawatan kaki pada pasien dengan diabetes mellitus Tipe II di Puskesmas Permata Sukarame, Bandar Lampung. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode quasy eksperimen dengan desain pretest-posttest with control group dengan total masing-masing kelompok sebanyak 18 responden. Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan menyebarkan kuesioner kepada responden yang memenuhi kriteria inklusi penelitian. Penelitian ini diuji menggunakan analisis univariat, bivariat dan uji T-test. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa terdapat perbedaan rata-rata dalam kemandirian perawatan kaki pada kelompok intervensi dan kelompok kontrol dengan p-value 0,000. Pendidikan dan praktik perawatan kaki harus diberikan sejak dini sebagai upaya pencegahan untuk komplikasi. Kata kunci : Supportive educative system, kemandirian perawatan kaki SUPPORTIVE EDUCATIVE SYSTEM IN IMPROVING INDEPENDENCE OF FOOT CARE IN PATIENTS WITH DIABETES MELLITUS TYPE II ABSTRACT Diabetes mellitus can cause quite a lot of complications such as eye disorders, kidney disorders, vascular disorders and abnormalities in the legs. Patients with diabetes mellitus who have chronic complications need to be given a preventive effort to prevent complications, one of which is foot care ability. This research was conducted to examine the effectiveness of supportive educative systems in increasing the independence of foot care in patients with Type II diabetes mellitus in the Permata Sukarame Health Center Bandar Lampung Working Area. This study used a quasi-experimental method with pretest-posttest with control group design with a total of 18 respondents each. Data collection is done by distributing questionnaires to respondents who meet the research inclusion criteria. This study was tested using univariate, bivariate, T-Test analysis. The results showed that the mean differences in the independence of foot care in the intervention group and the control group in the Permata Sukarame Community Health Center work area with a p-value of 0,000. Education and practice of foot care should be given early as a preventative effort for complications. Keywords: Supportive educative system, independence of foot care

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Influence of physical activity on periodontal health in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A blinded, randomized, controlled trial

Clinical Oral Investigations ◽

10.1007/s00784-021-03908-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

K. Wernicke ◽

J. Grischke ◽

M. Stiesch ◽

S. Zeissler ◽

K. Krüger ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Type 2 Diabetes ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Control Group ◽

Periodontal Health ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Hba1c Levels

Abstract Objectives The aim was to investigate the effect of physical activity on periodontal health and HbA1c levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) over a period of 6 months. Materials and methods Thirty-seven patients with non-insulin-dependent T2DM were included in the study. The intervention group (n=20) performed physical activity over a period of 6 months. The control group (n=17) did not receive any intervention. Baseline and final examinations included dental parameters and concentrations of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP). Results Physical activity showed a positive effect on periodontal health. Both the BOP (p= 0.005) and the severity of periodontitis (p= 0.001) were significantly reduced in the intervention group compared to the control group. Furthermore, HbA1c levels were reduced (p= 0.010) significantly in the intervention group while hsCRP levels significantly increased in the control group (p= 0.04). Conclusions Within the limitations of this randomized, controlled trial, physical activity over a period of 6 months is a health-promoting measure for patients with T2DM and improves both periodontal health and HbA1c concentrations.

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Randomised controlled trial of a financial incentive for increasing the number of daily walking steps: study protocol

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-026086 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. e026086

Author(s):

Yasutake Tomata ◽

Fumiya Tanji ◽

Dieta Nurrika ◽

Yingxu Liu ◽

Saho Abe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Financial Incentives ◽

Primary Outcome ◽

Financial Incentive ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Sample Size Calculation ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Control Group ◽

Modifiable Factors ◽

Randomised Controlled

IntroductionPhysical activity is one of the major modifiable factors for promotion of public health. Although it has been reported that financial incentives would be effective for promoting health behaviours such as smoking cessation or attendance for cancer screening, few randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have examined the effect of financial incentives for increasing the number of daily steps among individuals in a community setting. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of financial incentives for increasing the number of daily steps among community-dwelling adults in Japan.Methods and analysisThis study will be a two-arm, parallel-group RCT. We will recruit community-dwelling adults who are physically inactive in a suburban area (Nakayama) of Sendai city, Japan, using leaflets and posters. Participants that meet the inclusion criteria will be randomly allocated to an intervention group or a waitlist control group. The intervention group will be offered a financial incentive (a chance to get shopping points) if participants increase their daily steps from their baseline. The primary outcome will be the average increase in the number of daily steps (at 4–6 weeks and 7–9 weeks) relative to the average number of daily steps at the baseline (1–3 weeks). For the sample size calculation, we assumed that the difference of primary outcome would be 1302 steps.Ethics and disseminationThis study has been ethically approved by the research ethics committee of Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan (No. 2018-1-171). The results will be submitted and published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.Trial registration numberUMIN000033276; Pre-results.

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Impact of a 12-month web and smartphone-based intervention initiated during spa therapy to improve long-term physical activity of patients with chronic diseases: randomized controlled trial. (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.29640 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Florie FILLOL ◽

Ludivine PARIS ◽

Sébastien PASCAL ◽

Aurélien MULLIEZ ◽

Christian-François ROQUES ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Waist Circumference ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Group Versus ◽

Control Group ◽

Spa Therapy

BACKGROUND Lack of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviors are leading risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCD). Web-based interventions are effective in increasing PA in older adults and in NCD patients. In many countries a course of spa therapy is commonly prescribed to NCD patients and represents an ideal context to initiating lifestyle changes. OBJECTIVE The main objective of this study was to evaluate in NCD patients the effectiveness of an intervention combining an individual face-to-face coaching during spa therapy and, when returning home, a web- and smartphone-based PA program including a connected wrist pedometer and a connected weighing scale, on the achievement of physical activity guidelines (PAG) 12 months after the end of spa therapy. METHODS This was a 12-month, prospective, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial. Patients were enrolled during spa therapy and randomized 1:1 to intervention or control group who received usual advices about PA. From the end of spa therapy, PA, weight, waist circumference, and quality of life of the participants in both groups, were assessed by phone every 2 months. Primary outcome was meeting PAG (PA≥600 METs) at 12 months after the end of spa therapy. Secondary outcomes were: meeting current PAG at 6 months of follow-up; sedentary time, weight and waist circumference, PA and quality of life, at 6 and 12 months. Objective use data of the web-and smartphone-based PA program were collected. Analytic methods include intention-to-treat and constrained longitudinal data analyses. RESULTS The study sample was 228 patients (female : 77.2% (176/228), mean age: 62.4 years (SD 6.7), retired: 53.9% (123/228), mean BMI = 28.2 kg.m-2 (SD 4.2)). No group differences were found for any baseline variable. At 12 months, the proportion of patients achieving PAG was significantly higher in intervention group versus control group (81% vs 67% respectively, OR = 2.34 (95% CI 1.02- 5.38; P=.045). No difference between intervention and control group was found neither in achieving PAG at 6 months nor for sedentary time, weight and waist circumference, at 6 and 12 months. Regarding quality of life, the physical component subscale score was significantly higher at 12 months in intervention group versus control group (mean difference: 4.1 (95% CI 1.9-6.3; P<.001). The mean duration use of the program was 7.1 months (SD 4.5). Attrition rate during the first 2 months of the program was 20.4% (23/113) whereas 39.8% (45/113) of the participants used the program for at least 10 months. CONCLUSIONS The results showed significantly more participants meeting PAG at one year in the intervention group compared to controls. A course of spa therapy offers the ideal time and setting to implement education in PA. Digital coaching seems to be more efficient than usual coaching for increasing the level of PA and decreasing sedentariness on the long term. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02694796; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02694796.

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E-healthcare for diabetes mellitus type 2 patients – a randomised controlled trial in Slovenia

Slovenian Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1515/sjph-2017-0020 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 56 (3) ◽

pp. 150-157 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Rade Iljaž ◽

Andrej Brodnik ◽

Tatjana Zrimec ◽

Iztok Cukjati

Keyword(s):

Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Blood Pressure ◽

Nurse Practitioners ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Control Group ◽

Web Based ◽

Patients With Diabetes ◽

Randomised Controlled ◽

Interventional Group

Abstract Background Telemonitoring and web-based interventions are increasingly used in primary-care practices in many countries for more effective management of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). A new approach in treating patients with diabetes mellitus in family practices, based on ICT use and nurse practitioners, has been introduced and evaluated in this study. Method Fifteen Slovene family practices enrolled 120 DM patients treated only with a diet regime and/or tablets into the study. 58 of them were included into the interventional group, and the other 62 DM patients into the control group, within one-year-long interventional, randomised controlled trial. Patients in the control group had conventional care for DM according to Slovenian professional guidelines, while the patients in the interventional group were using also the eDiabetes application. Patients were randomised through a balanced randomisation process. Results Significant reductions of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) values were found after 6 and 12 months among patients using this eDiabetes application (p<0.05). Among these patients, a significant correlation was also found between self-monitored blood pressure and the final HbA1c values. Diabetic patients’ involvement in web-based intervention had only transient impact on their functional health status. Conclusion This eDiabetes application was confirmed to be an innovative approach for better self-management of DM type 2 patients not using insulin. Both a significant reduction of HbA1c values and a significant correlation between the average self-measured blood pressure and the final HbA1c values in the interventional group were found. Nurse practitioners – as diabetes care coordinators – could contribute to better adherence in diabetes e-care.

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Effects of 1 y of free school fruit on intake of fruits, vegetables, and unhealthy snacks: 14 y later

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition ◽

10.1093/ajcn/nqy243 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 108 (6) ◽

pp. 1309-1315 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Tonje Holte Stea ◽

Ingrid Marie Hovdenak ◽

Jannike Rønnestad ◽

Kjersti Rennestraum ◽

Frøydis Nordgård Vik ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fruits And Vegetables ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Baseline Survey ◽

Control Group ◽

Intervention Period ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Intervention Effects ◽

Sample Mean ◽

Unhealthy Snacks

ABSTRACT Background There are not many studies evaluating the long-term effects of fruit and vegetable interventions. Objective We examined the effects of 1 y of free fruit in elementary school on long-term consumption of fruit, vegetables, and unhealthy snacks, according to sex and educational attainment, 14 y after the intervention period. Design In 2001, the baseline survey of the longitudinal cohort, Fruits and Vegetables Make the Marks (FVMM), included 1950 children (mean age: 11.8 y) attending 38 randomly drawn elementary schools from 2 counties in Norway. In the following 10 mo, 9 schools served as intervention schools by participating in the Norwegian School Fruit Program for free, whereas 29 schools served as control schools. A follow-up survey conducted in 2016 included 982 participants (50%) from the original study sample (mean age: 26.5 y). The consumption of fruit and vegetables was measured by a 24-h recall (portions per day), and the consumption of unhealthy snacks was measured by food-frequency questions (portions per week). Linear mixed models were performed to test possible intervention effects on the consumption of fruit, vegetables, and unhealthy snacks 14 y after the intervention period. Results No overall intervention effects after 14 y due to the free-fruit scheme on the consumption of fruit, vegetables, and unhealthy snacks were observed, but significant interactions showed a sustained higher frequency of fruit consumption among females in the intervention group compared with the control group [mean difference (MD): 0.38 portions/d; P = 0.023] and that this effect was only significant among less-educated females (MD: 0.73 portions/d; P = 0.043). No significant long-term intervention effects were observed in the consumption of fruit among highly educated females and males nor in the consumption of vegetables or unhealthy snacks. Conclusion Results from the present study indicate that receiving free fruit at school for 1 y may have positive long-term effects for females without higher education.

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Efficacy of an Objective Structured Clinical Examination Training Approach for Training Pharmacy Students in Diabetes Mellitus Counseling: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Pharmacy ◽

10.3390/pharmacy8040229 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 229

Author(s):

Imaneh Farahani ◽

Samieh Farahani ◽

Maira A. Deters ◽

Holger Schwender ◽

Stephanie Laeer

Keyword(s):

Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Communication Skills ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Objective Assessment ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Pharmacy Students ◽

Controlled Study ◽

Control Group ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Training Approach

Pharmacists’ tasks are multifaceted and include, for example, vital counseling and communication skills. Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) could be used to train pharmacy students in these skills. Our study sought to determine the efficacy of our OSCE training approach for training pharmacy students’ counseling and communication skills on diabetes mellitus compared to a control group. This randomized controlled study was conducted with pharmacy students using a pre-post-design. The intervention group completed diabetes OSCE training, while the control group solved diabetes patient cases using subjective, objective, assessment, and plan notes. Before and after the respective training, both groups completed OSCEs evaluating counseling and communication skills. Before each OSCE encounter, the participants completed a self-assessment questionnaire and, upon completion of the seminar, filled out a satisfaction survey. The OSCE-trained group demonstrated a significantly greater increase in counseling and communication skills and self-confidence than the control group. Both groups were generally satisfied with the seminar. These results demonstrate that our OSCE training approach allows for the effective training of pharmacy students’ diabetes counseling and communication skills and suggests the inclusion of such a skill-based approach more widely in pharmacy students’ education.

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