Research and Development of a Lifestyle Medicine Clinic Model for Type 2 Diabetes Patients at Udon Thani Municipality Hospital

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a significant public health issue both globally and in Thailand. Traditional treatment often emphasizes medication, but lifestyle modifications have been increasingly recognized as a more effective approach. This research aimed to develop a lifestyle medicine clinic model for patients with type 2 diabetes at Udon Thani Municipality Hospital. It was conducted as a research and development (R&D) study divided into three phases: (1) situation and needs analysis, (2) design and development of the clinic model, and (3) pilot implementation and evaluation. The study was carried out from October 2024 to March 2025. The situation analysis revealed that the hospital had 969 diabetic patients,of whom only 29% achieved glycemic control (HbA1C <7%). The traditional care approach lacked structured guidance on physical activity, stress management, and sleep hygiene.Therefore, the newly developed clinic model incorporated multidisciplinary care focusing on six lifestyle behavior domains in accordance with lifestyle medicine principles. The study collected data from 22 patients who participated in the program for 3 months.The results showed that after 3 months of participation, HbA1C levels significantly decreased from 7.9±1.3% to 6.5±1.3% (p<0.001), average systolic blood pressure decreased from 144.3 to 135.0 mmHg (p=0.014), average waist circumference reduced by 4.0 cm (p<0.001), and health behavior scores increased from 33.9 to 41.5 points (p<0.001). Additionally, patients expressed very high satisfaction with the service. The study results demonstrate that the developed lifestyle medicine clinic model is effective in improving clinical outcomes and health behaviors among patients with type 2 diabetes. However, long-term studies should be conducted to confirm the effectiveness and feasibility of implementation in diverse contexts.