University of Chicago
Improving Diabetes Care and Outcomes on the South Side of Chicago
Chicago's South Side African-American neighborhoods have higher prevalence rates of diabetes (12%) compared to predominantly White (4%) and Mexican (6%) neighborhoods, as well as the city of Chicago overall (7%). About 28,000 African-Americans 18 years and older residing on the South Side of Chicago have diabetes and form the target population for this initiative. High rates of diabetes and complications from the disease are due in large part to socioeconomic challenges that make access to care and self-management difficult.
Our project aims to reduce diabetes disparities in Chicago's South Side taking into account the region's marketplace, socioeconomic challenges, and history of racial mistrust. We propose to test the effectiveness of a collaborative model program implanted in six clinics in the South Side catchment area. The collaboration will involve the community, clinics and academia.
This multi-factorial intervention incorporates culturally tailored patient activation, cultural competency and communication training for clinicians, clinic redesign with patient advocates, nurse care management, and enhanced community partnerships and resources. The intervention will also increase the number of persons with diabetes from underserved populations who access comprehensive care in safety net health centers through patient advocates and partnerships with community-based organizations.
Our project will provide important information for other regions seeking to reduce racial / ethnic disparities in diabetes care and outcomes. Key elements include the integration of clinics and the community, recognition of the socioeconomic challenges of the South Side of Chicago as well as the formidable strengths in the community, examination of the economic ramifications of the intervention, and analysis of the implementation process.
Improving Diabetes Care and Outcomes on the South Side of Chicago is innovative and practically useful. This project also embodies many of the goals of the Urban Health Initiative and is a strategic priority of the University of Chicago.
University of Chicago Alliance Team
Keisha Bishop, Monica Peek, Marshall Chin, Abigail Wilkes, Tonya Roberson, Pat Johnson
For more information on Improving Diabetes Care and Outcomes on the South Side of Chicago, please contact project managers:
Tonya Roberson troberso@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu or
Abigail Wilkes awilkes@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu