A 90-Minute Appointment

You can have all that time with your doctor and the support of others through group medial visits

Anthony Monfredi of Schnecksville, enjoys extra-long group visits with his doctor, family physician Jack Lenhart, M.D. Support and encouragement from other group members also helps him manage his diabetes.

Are Group Visits for You?

Though effective for many people, group medical visits aren’t for everyone. “These visits may be better for people who become more energized and extraverted when they’re in groups,” says diabetes educator Mary Cipolle, R.N. “They may be less effective for more introverted people who don’t feel comfortable sharing information with other people in a group setting.” Just as the group setting isn’t a good idea for every patient, neither is it suited for every doctor, some of whom thrive on and prefer one-on-one communication with their patients. “Individual and group visits each have their own strengths,” Lenhart says.

Imagine a doctor’s appointment that lasted 90 minutes. Now imagine that this visit involved more than just a physical check-up—you also learned how to improve your health from different specialists and were surrounded by people offering their support and encouragement. Sound too good to be true? Not for Schnecksville residents Tony Monfredi and Catherine Haberern. They attend these group medical visits - just for people with diabetes - every three months!

Here are just a few of the benefits Monfredi and Haberern enjoy when they take part in group appointments—benefits you could reap, too:

You can learn about diabetes from different specialists. “At every meeting we bring in different speakers to talk about topics like medications, glucose meters, proper nutrition or foot care,” says group leader and family physician Jack Lenhart, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “It can be difficult fitting this much diabetes education into a short office visit.” Monfredi, 65, who has had diabetes for 15 years, says, “I’ve learned how to better control my disease because I have so many experts helping me.”

You can learn how to eat better. “I learned that high-fiber carbs, like whole-grain breads, cause my blood sugar to rise more slowly than more refined carbs, like white bread,” says Haberern, 74, who’s also had diabetes for 15 years. Monfredi has taken away his own tips, too. “I’ve learned how to count carbs and read labels properly so I can eat a healthier diet.”

“These sessions help people learn how each tip applies to them,” says Lenhart’s colleague, diabetes educator Mary Cipolle, R.N., of Helwig Health and Diabetes Center.

You learn how to bring low blood sugar back to normal. “My blood sugar sometimes drops when I exercise and now I know to bring along some sugary snacks like orange juice or miniature candies just in case my sugar dips,” Haberern says. “I now feel more at ease when I exercise.”

You learn how to take better care of yourself. “I learned how important it is to take good care of my feet and to check them often for blisters or other wounds,” Haberern says. “I know if my skin gets dry it can crack, which can lead to infection. Now I put petroleum jelly on my feet every morning before I put on my socks to keep my skin from drying out.”

You learn how to prevent complications. “When I was first diagnosed with diabetes, I didn’t pay much attention to controlling the disease or preventing its complications,” Monfredi says. “But now I try to prevent future problems by keeping my HA1c numbers under control.” And he’s done just that: “My HA1c numbers are better than ever. I’ve gone from more than 7 percent to 6.5 percent.”

You get support from other group members. “The group atmosphere is relaxed and informal, and people are encouraged to offer each other suggestions on what has and hasn’t worked for them,” Cipolle says. “Patients use each other’s advice to solve some of their own problems, such as how to work exercise into their day or how to cut down on fat in their diet.”

That group support has helped Monfredi. “Group members have offered me lots of ideas and encouragement over the years,” he says. “If I have a problem, I know other people can help me because they’ve been through it.”

The encouraging message from other group members often is: ‘If I can do this, so can you,’ Lenhart says. “The group provides the support people need to make those important changes.”

You learn how to manage stress. “One speaker showed us how to practice deep breathing to better manage our stress,” Monfredi says. It’s especially important for you to keep stress under control because certain stress hormones can affect insulin and blood sugar levels.

You’re able to spend more time with your doctor and get to know him better. “The groups allow me to develop a better relationship with my patients and them with me,” says Lenhart. “We get to know each other better as people, not just as doctor and patient.”

Monfredi agrees. “Group visits give me a chance to interact with my doctor and a diabetes educator in a more informal setting,” he says. And the more time you have together, the more you can learn: “These 90-minute visits give me more time to ask questions than I’d be able to ask during a regular visit,” Monfredi says.

You still get personal attention. “We go from person to person to check their weight and blood pressure, review their blood sugar logs, check their feet, see how their medications are working and answer any questions they may not feel comfortable asking within the group,” Lenhart says.

You get to focus on your diabetes. Lenhart reserves his group medical visits exclusively for member’s concerns about their disease. “I still recommend individual office visits for my patients to talk about their other health issues, such as arthritis, osteoporosis or cancer,” Lenhart says. “That allows the group to focus on diabetes, which is the issue they all have in common. They can talk to me about their other health issues during regular appointments.”

ARTICLE TOOLS: