Sanofi US and Joslin Diabetes Center Announce Results from Multicultural Outreach Pilot at American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. and BOSTON, June 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Sanofi US collaborated with Joslin Diabetes Center on a successful, multicultural outreach pilot that was overseen and funded by Sanofi US with Joslin as its partner in providing clinical and behavioral educational materials and training based on their award-winning On the Road diabetes program. The pilot, which was implemented in four ethnically diverse cities across the United States, demonstrated a significant reduction in both elevated A1C and blood pressure after three months.  The results were presented at the American Diabetes Association 73^rd Scientific Sessions.

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"Cost, access and scalability are important current concerns for diabetes care and health care in general.  This program addresses those concerns and improves cardiometabolic outcomes," stated Richard Jackson, MD, Director of Medical Affairs, Healthcare Services, Joslin Diabetes Center.

On the Road uses point-of-care screening and standardized messaging framed around participants' results to guide them toward better health outcomes.  The Program goals for participants and their families are to lower elevated A1C and blood pressure, to raise awareness of these important biomarkers for cardiometabolic health and to re-engage participants with their healthcare team.

On the Road, targeting people with diabetes, welcomes their families and caregivers to attend the information sessions.  Families and caregivers are also offered biomarker screening, delivered the same messages and, if they have elevated A1C and blood pressure results, show similar improvement in biomarker outcomes as those participants who were diagnosed with diabetes prior to participating in the Program.  

The On the Road pilot also demonstrates that community members with little or no prior healthcare delivery experience can be trained to deliver simple, standardized messaging to their communities, resulting in improved participant health outcomes. This success implies scalability of a low-cost intervention for multicultural and underserved populations. 

"We are encouraged by the results of this multicultural pilot," stated Dennis Urbaniak, Vice President and Head of U.S. Diabetes Patient Centered Unit, Sanofi US.  "And, we are looking forward to our continued partnership with Joslin and our combined efforts to help people living with diabetes, especially those in underserved populations."

About the Study
The pilot was conducted in four ethnically diverse cities over three months reaching 369 participants. The objectives were to reach underserved populations, engage them in the healthcare system, increase awareness of key diabetes tests, and measure changes in biomarkers and healthy behaviors. The intervention included a 1-hour baseline class on understanding key diabetes tests plus collection of data (surveys, blood pressure (BP), and point-of-care A1C). The 3-month follow-up class included re-collection of data and a 1-hour class on healthy eating.

Four community liaisons (CLs) (individuals familiar with the target communities but not previously trained in health education) recruited participants and delivered the program.  The CLs completed two 4-hour training sessions on program delivery and were supported with periodic team phone calls.  Baseline data revealed the target population was reached (60% with annual household income <$25,000, 45% with high school diploma or less education, 21% of participants with diabetes had no medical visit in > 6 months, 34% Hispanic, 28% African American). Most participants (67%) had elevated BP >/= 130/80 and 58% of participants with diabetes had an A1C >/= 7.  

Data collected on 245 individuals at follow-up revealed improvement in mean A1C for participants with diabetes (7.53 to 7.26 p=0.04), with a greater improvement if baseline A1C >/= 7 (8.39 to 7.85, p=0.011).  People with pre-diabetes or undiagnosed diabetes (responded "no diabetes" but had a baseline A1C >/= 5.7) also showed improvement in mean A1C (6.14 to 5.74, p<.0005).  Mean systolic BP improved from 151.3 to 144.5, p=.002 in all participants with a baseline systolic BP >/= 130.

About Joslin Diabetes Center
Joslin Diabetes Center, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the world's largest diabetes research and clinical care organization. Joslin is dedicated to ensuring that people with diabetes live long, healthy lives and offers real hope and progress toward diabetes prevention and a cure. Joslin is an independent, nonprofit institution affiliated with Harvard Medical School.

Our mission is to prevent, treat and cure diabetes.  Our vision is a world free of diabetes and its complications. For more information, visit www.joslin.org.

About Sanofi
Sanofi, an integrated global healthcare leader, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients' needs. Sanofi has core strengths in the field of healthcare with seven growth platforms: diabetes solutions, human vaccines, innovative drugs, consumer healthcare, emerging markets, animal health and the new Genzyme. Sanofi is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY).

Sanofi is the holding company of a consolidated group of subsidiaries and operates in the United States as Sanofi US, also referred to as sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC. For more information on Sanofi US, please visit http://www.sanofi.us or call 1-800-981-2491.

SOURCE Sanofi