About

Dr. Heather Cuevas is an Associate Professor at the University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing, where she teaches in the Clinical Nurse Specialist program. She holds a PhD and MSN from The University of Texas at Austin and a BSN from Baylor University. Her research focuses on the effects of cognitive function on diabetes self-management and the impact of glucose variability on cognitive function. Her work specifically addresses factors influencing cognitive function in individuals with type 2 diabetes in both clinical and community settings. She has led interdisciplinary teams in NIH-funded research to develop one of the first cognitive rehabilitation interventions for people with type 2 diabetes. Clinically, she has a background as a Clinical Nurse Specialist, encompassing diagnosis, treatment, and management of endocrine disorders in outpatient settings. Currently, she practices at the Family Wellness Clinic at The University of Texas at Austin, working with patients with diabetes and other endocrine disorders.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Psychology
• Nursing
• Psychiatry
• Clinical psychology
• Gerontology
• Family medicine
• Medical education
• Computer Science
• Engineering
• Pathology
• Social psychology
• Internal medicine
• Management science
• Physical therapy
• Endocrinology

Selected publications

• Social Needs and Well-Being Initiatives in a Low-Resource Clinic

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2026-01-01

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• I<b>nterventions to prevent diabetes in Latin America: a systematic review of the literature</b>

  2026-04-08

  article

  <p dir="ltr"><b>Background: </b>Over 40 million people living in Latin America have been diagnosed with diabetes, and this number is expected to increase. As the risk of diabetes and diabetes mortality increases, diabetes interventions tailored specifically for individuals in Latin America are essential. In this systematic review, we identify components of diabetes interventions that effectively reduce diabetes risk to inform interventions for Latin American populations.</p><p dir="ltr"><b>Methods: </b>A comprehensive review was performed through PubMed, CINAHL, LILACS, and Web of Science to identify eligible studies testing interventions to prevent diabetes in Latin America. These studies were assessed for bias using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. Intervention elements and outcomes, including A1C and other obesity markers, were collected. No pooling of findings was possible.</p><p dir="ltr"><b>Findings:</b><b> A total of </b>3,022 articles were screened by title and abstract; our final analysis includes 11 articles. The majority significantly reduced the risk of diabetes, as assessed by markers including HbA1c, glucose, weight, and BMI. Studies that included multiple aspects, including diet, exercise, and lifestyle education, were more likely to report significant changes.</p><p dir="ltr"><b>Conclusion: </b>Although more rigorous studies are needed, interventions with interdisciplinary teams and multiple phases can potentially decrease diabetes risk. Interventions that follow participants for an extended period may increase the interventions’ long-term success.</p>

  PublisherDOI

• Interventions to Prevent Diabetes in Latin America: A Systematic Review of the Literature

  Diabetes Obesity and Cardiometabolic CARE · 2026-03-01

  article

  BACKGROUND More than 40 million people living in Latin America have been diagnosed with diabetes, and this number is expected to increase. As the risk of diabetes and diabetes mortality increases, diabetes interventions tailored specifically for individuals in Latin America are essential. PURPOSE To identify components of diabetes interventions that effectively reduce diabetes risk to inform interventions for Latin American populations. DATA SOURCES Systematic review of PubMed, CINAHL, LILACS, and Web of Science was performed from 2013 to 2025. STUDY SELECTION Studies testing interventions to prevent diabetes in Latin America were included. Studies were assessed for bias using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. DATA EXTRACTION Intervention elements and outcomes, including HbA1c and other obesity markers, were collected. No pooling of findings was possible. DATA SYNTHESIS The analysis included 11 articles. The majority significantly reduced the risk of diabetes, as assessed by markers including HbA1c, glucose, weight, and BMI. Studies that included multiple aspects, including diet, exercise, and lifestyle education, were more likely to report significant changes. LIMITATIONS Studies that did not contain the keywords used for the search or were indexed only in other databases may have been missed. Heterogeneity of study interventions and outcomes prevented a quantitative synthesis of effect sizes. Half of the included studies did not test interventions against a control or comparison group, limiting conclusions about their effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS Although more rigorous studies are needed, interventions with interdisciplinary teams and multiple phases can potentially reduce diabetes risk. Interventions that follow participants for an extended period may be more successful over the long term.

  PublisherDOI

• I<b>nterventions to prevent diabetes in Latin America: a systematic review of the literature</b>

  2026-04-08

  article

  <p dir="ltr"><b>Background: </b>Over 40 million people living in Latin America have been diagnosed with diabetes, and this number is expected to increase. As the risk of diabetes and diabetes mortality increases, diabetes interventions tailored specifically for individuals in Latin America are essential. In this systematic review, we identify components of diabetes interventions that effectively reduce diabetes risk to inform interventions for Latin American populations.</p><p dir="ltr"><b>Methods: </b>A comprehensive review was performed through PubMed, CINAHL, LILACS, and Web of Science to identify eligible studies testing interventions to prevent diabetes in Latin America. These studies were assessed for bias using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. Intervention elements and outcomes, including A1C and other obesity markers, were collected. No pooling of findings was possible.</p><p dir="ltr"><b>Findings:</b><b> A total of </b>3,022 articles were screened by title and abstract; our final analysis includes 11 articles. The majority significantly reduced the risk of diabetes, as assessed by markers including HbA1c, glucose, weight, and BMI. Studies that included multiple aspects, including diet, exercise, and lifestyle education, were more likely to report significant changes.</p><p dir="ltr"><b>Conclusion: </b>Although more rigorous studies are needed, interventions with interdisciplinary teams and multiple phases can potentially decrease diabetes risk. Interventions that follow participants for an extended period may increase the interventions’ long-term success.</p>

  PublisherDOI

• A – 15 The Potential for Misdiagnosis in Hispanic/Latino Older Adults

  Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology · 2025-09-26

  article

  Abstract Objective Latinos represent the largest and fastest growing ethnic minority group in the United States and show increased risk of mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. However, demographically adjusted normative data that represents this group is lacking and likely contributes to misdiagnosis. The purpose of this study was to explore differences in standard scores when using normative data derived from non-Hispanic vs. Hispanic samples. Method Participants included 11 Hispanic/Latino older adults recruited from a primary care clinic (Age: X-= 69.91, SD= 1.71; Education: X-= 16.09, SD= 1.31; Males= 5). Raw scores on six cognitive measures, Hopkins Verbal Learning Test Revised (HVLT-R) Immediate Recall, HVLT-R Delayed Recall, Letter Fluency, Animal Naming, and Trail Making Test Parts A and B, were converted to T-Scores using non-Hispanic and Hispanic normative data and compared using paired samples t-tests. Results There were significant differences between T-scores on all six tasks, with higher T scores obtained when using Hispanic norms: HVLT-R Immediate Recall (p <.001), HVLT-R Delayed Recall (p <.001), Letter Fluency (p <.001), Animal Naming (p <.001), Trail Making Test Part A (p <.012), and Part B (p <.01). Conclusion Findings confirm that the use of demographically adjusted norms is crucial in standard neuropsychological evaluations. Failure to account for cultural differences in Hispanic/Latino older adults specifically can over pathologize findings, leading to misdiagnosis, especially when interpreting language-based tasks.

  PublisherDOI

• Dietitian Trained Community Health Workers Improve Health Outcomes in ¡salud, Salud!, a Bilingual Family-centered Diabetes Education Program

  Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics · 2025-09-23

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A – 18 Assessing the Usability of a Digital Cognitive Screening Tool in a Primary Care Setting

  Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology · 2025-09-26

  article

  Abstract Objective With an aging population and expected increases in cognitive impairment, early detection of cognitive decline is a public health priority. Despite the importance of early detection, cognitive screening remains underutilized in the primary care setting due to time constraints and limited access to efficient screening tools. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usability, acceptability, and technical performance of a short self-administered digital cognitive screening tool in a real-world primary care setting. Method 282 patients completed the digital screening tool as part of a regularly scheduled primary care visit and 129 patients completed usability questionnaires. Technical issues and workflow observations were recorded by research staff and patient feedback was solicited in usability surveys. Results The majority of participants (66.7%) completed the measure without problems, despite some technical issues such as touchscreen sensitivity (18.1%), app freezing (11.7%), and syncing delays (11.7%). Patient feedback was positive: 93.3% rated the app as “easy” or “very easy” to use, and 92.4% reported feeling “confident” or “very confident” using it. 30.4% preferred the app over a clinician-administered screening test, 54.1% had no preference between the two and 15.6% preferred the clinician-administered screening test. 96.2% trusted the results of the app. Conclusion Findings confirm that most patients had an overall positive experience when using a digital cognitive screening tool, suggesting the potential for integrating digital cognitive screening tools into routine primary care.

  PublisherDOI

• A Community-Academic Partnership Using Digital Solutions for Diabetes Self-Management

  Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved · 2025-08-01

  article

  An academic-community partnership developed a bilingual, family-centered type 2 diabetes self-management program for underserved Latinos, emphasizing cultural relevance, stakeholder engagement, and digital equity. This experience provides practical insights for organizations designing digital health interventions to promote healthy lifestyles and disease management among underserved populations.

  PublisherDOI

• Adaptation of the Florida Cognitive Activities Scale for Latinx adults with chronic diseases

  Ethnicity and Health · 2025-01-29

  article1st authorCorresponding

  BACKGROUND: Latinx adults experience disparately high rates of chronic diseases and cognitive dysfunction. Participating in cognitive-stimulating activities, such as reading, is thought to improve and preserve cognitive function. However, little is known about cognitively stimulating activities preferred by Latinx adults. In addition, surveys to measure participation in cognitively stimulating activities are not culturally sensitive to Latinx preferences and tend to feature activities that require financial resources and leisure time and may not include cognitively stimulating activities that are more accessible or preferable. METHODS: We conducted an instrumentation study in three phases to adapt the Florida Cognitive Activities Scale (FCAS): Phase (1) revision and translation of the FCAS for Latinx adults with chronic diseases; Phase (2) feasibility testing; and Phase (3) reliability and validity testing. RESULTS: < .01), and temporal reliability (the interclass correlation coefficient between test and retest times was 0.81). CONCLUSION: The FCAS-L is a valid and reliable updated measure of cognitively stimulating activities for Spanish- and English-speaking Latinx adults with chronic conditions.

  PublisherDOI

• Validation of the Quick Mild Cognitive Impairment screen in a primary care clinic sample

  Alzheimer s & Dementia · 2025-12-01

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Brief cognitive screening tests (< 5 minutes) are recommended for use in primary care settings due to time constraints. However, most brief measures have been criticized for lack of sensitivity to detect mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The purpose of this study was to explore the validity of the Quick Mild Cognitive Impairment (Qmci) screen, a relatively new brief cognitive screening measure, to accurately identify individuals exhibiting MCI in a primary care sample. METHOD: Participants were 107 older adults (average age = 69.3; 69% female; 94% white) without a dementia diagnosis who completed the Qmci during a routine primary care visit. They also completed a brief neuropsychological test battery (NTB) usually later the same day or within 2-3 weeks. The Qmci has six subtests: Orientation, Word Registration, Clock Drawing, Delayed Word Recall, Verbal Fluency, and Logical Memory. The NTB consisted of six tests assessing language, memory, and executive functioning (EF). Participants with two or more demographically adjusted T scores < 40 within the language, memory, or EF domains or one demographically adjusted T score < 40 in each of the three domains were considered cognitively impaired (CI) on the NTB. Independent samples t-tests and chi square analyses were used to examine group differences. A receiver operating curve analysis was conducted to determine the classification accuracy of the Qmci. RESULT: On the NTB, 76 participants were cognitively normal (CN) and 31 were CI. There were no significant differences in age, education, race, or ethnicity between CN and CI groups. The CN group obtained significantly higher (better) Qmci total scores and Delayed Recall, Verbal Fluency, and Logical Memory scores. The Qmci achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of .75, which was statistically significant. The optimal cutoff score using Youden's Index was < 72, which had a sensitivity of 87% and a specificity of 57%. The recommended cutoff score of < 67 based on memory clinic samples had a sensitivity of 93% and a specificity of 30%. CONCLUSION: The Qmci showed adequate classification accuracy for detecting MCI in older adults in a primary care clinic setting.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Jeeyeon Kim

  National Institutes of Health

  24 shared

• Alexandra A. García

  The University of Texas at Austin

  17 shared

• Alexa K. Stuifbergen

  National Institute of Nursing Research

  16 shared

• Julie A. Zuñiga

  The University of Texas at Austin

  15 shared

• Shenell Wood

  The University of Texas at Austin

  13 shared

• Sharon A. Brown

  13 shared

• Elizabeth Heitkemper

  The University of Texas at Austin

  9 shared

• Adama Brown

  The University of Texas at Austin

  7 shared

Education

• PhD

  University of Texas at Austin

  2013

• MSN

  University of Texas at Austin

  2003

• BSN

  Baylor University

  1998