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Project Dulce

An Evidence-Based Practice

Description

Project Dulce is diabetes care and education program designed for underserved, low-income, ethnically diverse populations. Through Project Dulce, a nurse-led team including a Certified Diabetes Educator, medical assistant, and dietitian provide clinical care in collaboration with primary care providers. The program also trains peer educators to provide diabetes self-management education and support, as well as an electronic diabetes registry to track patient care, and clinical standards to guide treatment. Project Dulce provides culturally appropriate curriculum, patient handouts in eight different languages, and training for health care providers.

Goal / Mission

The goal of Project Dulce is to improve the lives of people with diabetes through culturally appropriate, community-based diabetes management, education, and support programs.

Results / Accomplishments

Participants in Project Dulce had significant reductions in multiple clinical outcomes between year one and year two when compared to a control group. There were decreases in hemoglobin (Hg) A1c (0.8%; p < 0.001), systolic blood pressure (5.4 mm Hg; p = 0.001), diastolic blood pressure (8.0 mm Hg; p < 0.001), total cholesterol (28.1 mg/dL; p < 0.001), and LDL cholesterol (15.6 mg/dL; p < 0.001). There was also a trend toward reduced hospital expenditures, which while not statistically significant, is both clinically and economically relevant to low-income populations.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute
Primary Contact
Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute
10140 Campus Point Drive, Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92121
1-866-791-8154
http://www.scripps.org/services/diabetes
Topics
Health / Physical Activity
Organization(s)
Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute
Date of publication
May 2005
Date of implementation
1997
Location
San Diego County, CA
For more details
https://www.scripps.org/services/metabolic-conditi...
Target Audience
Adults, Racial/Ethnic Minorities

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Related Content for: Project Dulce

An Evidence-Based Practice meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes at a minimum: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program implementation steps, and outcomes that have demonstrated program success in achieving the program goal in one or more localities.
  2. The results from an evaluation of the program include quantitative measures showing improvement in the outcome(s) of interest after the implementation of the program (i.e. increase in smoking cessation, not just the delivery of a smoking cessation program). The outcome measure(s) is/are compared at relevant time periods before and after the intervention or program implementation. Alternatively, the evaluation study compares the outcome(s) between an intervention group and an appropriate control group.
  3. The study is of peer-review quality and presents numbers in a scientific manner; measurements of precision and reliability are included (e.g. confidence intervals, standard errors), results from statistical tests show a significant difference or change in the outcome measure(s), and relevant point estimates and p-values are presented. Note: if the results from an evaluation of a program are presented in a scientific manner and the outcome measure is improved compared to the baseline measurement or the control group but the difference is not statistically significant, the practice is classified as effective and not evidence-based.
Michigan Health Improvement Alliance