Participation in outpatient diabetes education programs: how many patients take part and how representative are they?

Little research has been conducted on the role of participation in programs that teach diabetes self-management skills. This paper reviews recent studies on diabetes educational programs to determine what is known about participation, and then reports our experience in recruiting patients for a program that teaches diabetes self-care skills to persons age 60 and older. Few studies have reported data on participation rates in such programs, and only one study provided information on characteristics of patients who participated versus those who did not. In our study, patients over age 70, and those with whom we initiated contact by means of a letter from their health care provider, were less likely to participate than were younger patients and those who initiated contact with us. It is recommended that future research include information on the percentage and representativeness of patients who participate in diabetes education programs. Studies should also describe their target population, procedures used to recruit participants, and program characteristics that might affect participation.