An Initiative to Improve Diabetes Care Standards in Healthcare Organizations Serving Minorities

Abstract

PURPOSE this study was designed to assess changes of diabetes care standards in healthcare organizations that participated in 2-year initiative to improve diabetes care and expand outreach in minority communities. METHODS An independent sample of the medical records of adults with type 2 diabetes was randomly drawn at 3 points of time (N=829). Rates of compliance with 20 selected measures of standards of basic diabetes care were measured and compared over time. RESULTS Significant improvements in compliance rates from baseline to the end point were found in 11 measures including annual hemoglobin A1 C testing (65.8% to 76.3%), annual lipid profile (33.8% to 49.1%), and biannual lower extremity examination (40.0% to 56.3%). CONCLUSIONS Improvements in diabetes care were credited with giving providers feedback on their compliance and increasing support of patient self-care, especially through tailoring outreach and services to minorities.