Using longitudinal, multi-partner qualitative data to evaluate the implementation of a diabetes prevention and management intervention among South Asians Americans

TL;DR

This study evaluates how a diabetes prevention program for South Asian Americans was implemented over time, highlighting the importance of adaptability and collaboration.

Contribution

The study introduces a real-time, longitudinal qualitative approach to assess the implementation of a diabetes intervention in a minoritized community.

Findings

Community health workers adapted the program to meet patient needs and changing circumstances, such as the shift to remote delivery during the pandemic.

Strong partner engagement and structured communication helped navigate challenges like policy changes and resource fluctuations.

The study shows how program adaptability and peer mentorship training improved implementation and community connections.

Abstract

Community-clinical linkage models (CCLM) display significant potential to address the unique, multi-level type 2 diabetes risk factors facing minoritized communities, such as South Asian Americans. However, there lacks a systematic, longitudinal evaluation of how such tailored CCLMs can be better implemented in dynamic, real-world settings. This study aims to leverage multi-partner insights, collected in real time, to explore the barriers and facilitators to implement a South Asian American diabetes management and prevention intervention (the DREAM intervention).

The DREAM intervention, a two-arm randomized controlled trial, was implemented from 2019–2022; partners involved in its implementation were interviewed annually to understand their experiences of the program. Implementation partners included community health workers (CHWs), participating healthcare providers, community advisory board (CAB) partners, and research staff. The interview guide and subsequent deductive qualitative analysis was informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR).

Overall, 78 interviews were conducted across four waves (2019–2022) with 5 research staff, 8 CHWs, 18 providers/clinic staff, and 12 CAB partners. CHWs adapted intervention characteristics by tailoring curriculum and implementation to patient needs, including personalized goal setting and shifting to remote delivery with COVID-19-related content. At the individual level, participants’ occupations, family dynamics, and technological capacity shaped engagement, while changing social, financial, and health contexts over time required CHWs to continually adjust support. Within the inner setting, partner roles and resource availability fluctuated, yet structured and consistent meetings facilitated communication and problem-solving. Outer setting influences, including shifting government and universities policies and the COVID-19 pandemic, required repeated adaptations, while CAB partnerships expanded community connections and services over time. Process-related findings underscored the evolving role of CHWs and research staff in planning and fidelity, with training shifting toward peer mentorship to build capacity.

Findings revealed the pivotal role of programmatic adaptability and robust partner engagement in navigating dynamic contexts to support the diabetes needs of minoritized communities. The real-time, longitudinal approach taken for data collection and analysis was crucial in understanding how intervention changes were implemented and experienced, providing a model for similar implementation assessments.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s43058-025-00800-2.

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