The Impact of Social Worker Referrals on Diabetes and Loneliness

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Social worker referral to address loneliness: Patients will be referred to social worker for loneliness management

Continue Primary care: Continue seeing primary care

Study summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if referral to a social worker (social prescribing) can help reduce loneliness and improve blood sugar control (A1C) in older adults with diabetes. It will also help us understand how this approach can support overall well-being in seniors.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Does referral to a social worker reduce feelings of loneliness in older adults with diabetes?
* Does this support improve blood sugar control (A1C)?

Researchers will compare social worker referral to usual diabetes care to see if this approach improves both social well-being and diabetes outcomes.

Participants will:

* Be assigned (like flipping a coin) to either meet with a social worker or continue their usual care
* Complete a short 3-question loneliness survey at the start and again after 6 months
* Have their A1C levels reviewed from their routine medical records

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Hemoglobin A1C (glycated hemoglobin) level — 6 months
  Hemoglobin A1C (glycated hemoglobin) is a routinely used laboratory measure that reflects average blood glucose levels over the preceding 3 months. In this study, A1C values will be obtained from participants' electronic medical records (EMR) as part of routine clinical care; no additional blood draws will be required for research purposes. Baseline A1C will be defined as the most recent value within ±4 weeks of enrolment. Follow-up A1C will be the value obtained closest to 6 months after enrolment, within routine clinical testing intervals. A1C is reported as a percentage (%), with higher values indicating poorer glycemic control. Change in A1C from baseline to 6 months will be used to assess the effect of the intervention on glycemic control. The secondary analysis will adjust for baseline A1C and relevant clinical factors, including medication changes where applicable.

Trial sites (1)

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