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A recent cluster randomized controlled trial compared medical assistant health coaching (MAC) to usual care in 600 adults with T2D at two diverse primary care settings: a federally qualified health center and a large nonprofit health system. Participants had HbA1C 8% or greater, LDL cholesterol 100 mg/dL or greater, or systolic BP 140 mmHg or greater. Over 12 months, MAC clinics provided in-person and telephone self-management support. Clinical outcomes improved significantly across the board (P<0.001), with greater reductions in HbA1C in the MAC group (P=0.002) than the usual care group. MAC also substantially improved LDL cholesterol at the federally qualified health center compared with the nonprofit system (P<0.05). The researchers concluded that their findings underscore MAC’s effectiveness, particularly at federally qualified health centers, for improving T2D outcomes in real-world primary care.
