Ahrq Diabetes Care Strategies

Diabetes is an endocrine disorder that occurs when the pancreas is unable to control the levels of blood sugar because it cannot produce sufficient insulin. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in the US and as of 2009, approximately $132 billion is spent on the medical care for diabetes treatment every year. The AHRQ reports three strategies that should be implemented to improve treatment of this condition: mobilizing the community, educating patients and creating high quality health care systems.

Mobilizing the Community

• One strategy to close the gap in the treatment of diabetes is to encourage the community to become involved. This strategy includes measures to educate community members about the condition and rallying the community to support others who suffer from this condition. Many diabetics are disabled by the effects of the disease. Therefore, community support could go a long way in eliminating the problem and improving care and quality of life.

  With community support, diabetic food options in restaurants and public locations might be made available. Eating a healthy diet low in sugars, fats and carbohydrates is essential for diabetes management. This support would make choices easier for the diabetic. Community awareness events and exercise programs could also help with diabetes prevention and management. Obesity contributes to diabetes, and if exercise and health-centered options were available to the community as a whole with public exercise facility opportunities provided, there is great potential to reduce the obesity epidemic and minimize the risk of contracting diabetes.

Educating Patients

• According to the American Diabetes Association, $174 million dollars was spent in 2007 on treating diabetes and in 2005, 233,619 people died as a result of this disease. According to the AHRQ, often these deaths occur because patients are not educated. Individuals with diabetes should make it their primary responsibility to learn everything possible about their condition.

  Patients can do this by speaking with their doctors, or attending seminars provided by Diabetes Nurse Practitioners. Diabetics can also do independent research, join a diabetes support group or consult with a nutritionist skilled in diabetes care. This will help to close the gap between health care professionals and patients in the treatment of this common condition. Additionally, the diabetic can understand her condition in depth rather than simply relying on the information solely provided to her by her health care provider.

Creating High Quality Health Care Systems

• The AHRQ also suggests that the creation of a high quality health care system is also an essential strategy in closing the gap between what is known about this condition and the available treatment. Creating a high quality health care system involves access to the most recent clinical data about the condition. Access to recent data can help the health care system stay on top of recent scientific developments in treatment and to develop the most up-to-date care strategies.

  This type of information can also aid in the creation of treatment plans to provide patients with all of their options before they decide on a final line of combat against their condition. Creating a high quality health care system entails creating a communications system that ensures primary doctors can communicate with hospitals and vice versa, according to the AHRQ. To that end, the AHRQ has put together a resource guide for state action, designed to assist states in creating this type of high quality health care system that the AHRQ believes is essential to successful diabetes care.