# Examining the Association Between Frequency of Mobile Clinic Visits and Diabetes and Hypertension Control

## TL;DR

Frequent visits to mobile clinics help control hypertension but not diabetes, highlighting the need for tailored interventions for chronic diseases in underserved communities.

## Contribution

The study reveals that mobile clinic visit frequency improves hypertension control but not diabetes control, suggesting the need for diagnosis-specific public health strategies.

## Key findings

- Increased mobile clinic visit frequency is associated with improved hypertension control over time.
- No significant association was found between mobile clinic visit frequency and diabetes control.
- Diabetes patients require additional interventions beyond mobile clinic visits to achieve better outcomes.

## Abstract

Public health relevance—How does this work relate to a public health issue?
Chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes disproportionately affect marginalized and underserved adults with limited access to traditional healthcare, making disease control a significant public health challenge.Mobile medical clinics are a community-based healthcare delivery model designed to reduce access barriers and address unmet health needs in underserved communities.

Chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes disproportionately affect marginalized and underserved adults with limited access to traditional healthcare, making disease control a significant public health challenge.

Mobile medical clinics are a community-based healthcare delivery model designed to reduce access barriers and address unmet health needs in underserved communities.

Public health significance—Why is this work of significance to public health?
This study provides evidence that increased frequency of mobile clinic visits is associated with improved hypertension control over time, demonstrating the population-level value of mobile clinics in chronic disease management.By identifying differential effects of mobile clinic visit frequency on hypertension versus diabetes control, the findings highlight gaps in current care models and the need for diagnosis-specific public health interventions.

This study provides evidence that increased frequency of mobile clinic visits is associated with improved hypertension control over time, demonstrating the population-level value of mobile clinics in chronic disease management.

By identifying differential effects of mobile clinic visit frequency on hypertension versus diabetes control, the findings highlight gaps in current care models and the need for diagnosis-specific public health interventions.

Public health implications—What are the key implications or messages for practitioners, policy makers and/or researchers in public health?
Public health practitioners and healthcare systems should incorporate mobile medical clinics into chronic disease prevention and management strategies while integrating additional supports, such as nutrition education and physical activity interventions, to improve diabetes outcomes.Policy makers and researchers should advance value-based reimbursement approaches and cross-sector partnerships that include mobile clinics to improve access, reduce health disparities, and support sustainable community-based healthcare delivery models.

Public health practitioners and healthcare systems should incorporate mobile medical clinics into chronic disease prevention and management strategies while integrating additional supports, such as nutrition education and physical activity interventions, to improve diabetes outcomes.

Policy makers and researchers should advance value-based reimbursement approaches and cross-sector partnerships that include mobile clinics to improve access, reduce health disparities, and support sustainable community-based healthcare delivery models.

Objective: To examine the association between frequency of mobile clinic visits and diabetes or hypertension control among patients who received regular mobile clinic care, controlling for patient sociodemographic characteristics and comorbidities. Design: Retrospective cohort study using patient chart review. Sample: Patients who regularly visited mobile medical clinics in Southern California (N = 218) between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2019. Measurements: The dependent variables were hemoglobin A1c and blood pressure control. The independent variable was number of visits per year. Longitudinal associations were examined using a linear mixed model or generalized linear mixed model. Results: Among regular mobile clinic patients with diabetes (n = 86), there was no significant association between number of visits and hemoglobin A1c control (hemoglobin A1c < 6.5). Among regular mobile clinic patients with hypertension (n = 129), the odds of hypertension control (blood pressure < 140/90 mmHg) over time significantly increased as the frequency of clinic visits increased (adjusted OR = 5.27, 95% CI 1.63–16.99). Conclusions: The study findings suggest that regular mobile clinic use by adults with hypertension improves blood pressure control over time. However, the frequency of mobile clinic visits had no effect on diabetes control overtime. Patients with diabetes need additional interventions to achieve hemoglobin A1c control.