Enhancing cardiovascular disease risk communication in diabetes care using Kern’s six-step model: development and pilot of a training program for general practitioners

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) caused by diabetes pose a significant health burden. CVD risk communication refers to the process of conveying CVD risk information to the public or patients at the individual and community levels and encouraging them to adopt effective preventive measures. However, Chinese general practitioners (GPs) do not adequately communicate CVD risks to their patients. Training may enhance the risk communication skills of GPs. Therefore, this pilot study aims to develop, implement, and preliminarily evaluate a tailored training program to enhance the skills of GPs in communicating cardiovascular risks to people with diabetes. METHODS: This is a pilot study employing a mixed-methods approach for evaluation of an educational intervention.The curriculum was designed via a literature review and discussions with experts from general practice, endocrinology, and cardiology. Following Kern's six-step teaching model, the training was delivered through a 4-session (160-min) training program. GPs from local community health service centers were invited to participate in the training program. Participants' learning outcomes were assessed using quantitative methods, while qualitative assessments focused on their experiences and perceptions of the learning process. RESULTS: One male GP and nine female GPs from 10 different community health service centers participated in the training. Post-training knowledge test scores (71.50 ± 10.55) were significantly higher than pre-training scores (47.50 ± 9.20), with a mean difference of 24.00 (95% CI: 16.31, 31.69; P < 0.001). Post-training qualitative interviews revealed enhanced participant attitudes, knowledge, and skills, with a positive impact on clinical practice. Participants suggested further refining communication elements, incorporating video demonstrations, and revising assessment materials to optimize the training program. CONCLUSION: The training program developed in this study preliminarily demonstrates feasibility, effectiveness, and wide acceptance and offers an innovative educational framework for type 2 diabetes management. Despite the inherent limitations of the pilot study, such as its limited sample size and single-center design, this work establishes a crucial foundation for subsequent curriculum refinement, expansion of the training scale, and evaluation of long-term outcomes.