Introduction
T2DM, diabetes
TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS, DIABETES
Minority and low-income women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) face widening disparities in diabetes care and clinical outcomes, highlighting the pressing need to improve diabetes care for underserved communities [Telehealth solutions have gained unprecedented traction with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Early evidence has shown that virtual worlds (VWs) and virtual reality platforms are feasible and potentially more effective alternatives to IP programming [To our knowledge, the possibilities of avatar-based VW DSME have not been rigorously tested. We developed an immersive telemedicine platform, linking an interactive VW learning environment with videoconferencing software, to overcome the common barriers to diabetes group-based care while maintaining clinical effectiveness at scale. We implemented Women in Control 2.0 (WIC2) in 2015 to study the comparative effectiveness of delivering DMGVs in a VW versus the traditional IP classroom for women from Black, African American, Hispanic, or Latina backgrounds with uncontrolled T2DM (trial protocol in 