To the Editor: We thank Steven Kaufman, MD; and Valerie S. Ganetsky, PharmD, BCPS and for their response to our article1 evaluating a diabetes group medical visit (GMV) and for sharing their experience implementing a diabetes shared medical appointment (SMA). We applaud their implementation of an ongoing diabetes SMA.
As the authors illustrate, the terminology for these types of group visits (GMV vs SMA) varies. However, the terms are ultimately interchangeable; both refer to group visits that incorporate medical care and group self-management education.2,3 While our program has a different structure than that of Drs. Kaufman and Ganetsky, we do want to clarify that our participants have opportunities to interact and support 1 another during the diabetes self-management education component of our GMV. In fact, an earlier study of our diabetes GMV, consisting of interviews with former participants, showed that a substantial proportion of participants found that the program offered peer support and important opportunities to learn about diabetes self-management from their peers.4
In addition, we agree with the authors' call for national best practices for group visits, a national working group, and national conferences focused on group visits and other care delivery innovations. While diabetes group visits hold promise as a patient-centered approach to chronic disease management, more research is needed to identify the optimal group visit size, frequency, structure, and payment mechanisms5 that will make these visits effective and sustainable in primary care practices.
Notes
To see this article online, please go to: http://jabfm.org/content/31/5/828.full.
The above letter was referred to the author of the article in question, who offers the following reply.
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