Final Evaluation Report: Nuestra Clinica del Valle

Nuestra Clínica del Valle (NCDV) implemented the NuCare program, which fully integrates behavioral health (IBH) and physical health at four of its clinics in the Rio Grande Valley. The program is intended to improve the health status of patients with obesity, diabetes, and/or depression. This study specifically looks at the program at the Mission clinic site in Mission, TX.

Study Goals:

The study had two goals. The first was to evaluate the NuCare program’s impact at the Mission clinic. The second was to measure the level of program services provided and quality of services the intervention group received relative to what was proposed.

Research Questions:

The study explored both impact and implementation questions. The research questions were:

• Impact Questions:
  • Do patients who participate in the NuCare program experience improvements in the following health measures after 12 months compared to patients who did not participate?
    • HbA1c (blood sugar levels)
    • Body mass index (BMI)
    • Depressive symptoms
    • Blood pressure
    • Quality of life
• Implementation Questions:
  • Did the NuCare program reach its intended target population?
  • What are the components of the NuCare program and how do these components work “on the ground” at six and 12 months?
  • What level of integrated behavioral health did NCDV achieve as a result of implementing the NuCare program?
  • Did the comparison group receive any service similar to the program?
  • Did NCDV implement the NuCare program according to its model?
  • How satisfied were NuCare patients with the services they received? How satisfied are providers with the NuCare program?

Findings:

The study found the following:

• The NuCare program was implemented with moderate to high fidelity.
• The NuCare program demonstrated significant improvements in quality of life as measured by the Duke Health Profile.
• Program participants had significantly greater improvements than the comparison group when measuring improvements in depressive symptoms.
• Program participants with uncontrolled diabetes at baseline had a statistically significant lower diastolic blood pressure at 12 months than those in the comparison group with uncontrolled diabetes.
• There were no statistically significant changes in blood pressure in the overall study population.

For more information, download the full report and report brief.