Combining Data to Improve Diabetes Care Monitoring
Author Information
Author(s): Kemple Angela M, Hartwick Noelle, Sitaker Marilyn H, Harmon Jeanne J, Norman Jan, Clark Kathleen
Primary Institution: Washington State Department of Health
Hypothesis
Can data from multiple health clinics be combined to provide useful measurements of diabetes care processes and control of intermediate outcomes?
Conclusion
Data from clinical information systems like CDEMS can be combined to improve state-level diabetes surveillance and evaluation systems.
Supporting Evidence
- More than half of patients were above recommended target levels for hemoglobin A1c testing and foot examination.
- Fewer patients met recommendations for nephropathy assessment and eye examinations.
- Data from CDEMS can complement other surveillance data sources.
Takeaway
This study shows that by combining data from different clinics, we can get a better understanding of how well diabetes care is being managed.
Methodology
Analyzed electronic patient health data from clinic sites across Washington State using the Chronic Disease Electronic Management System (CDEMS) registry.
Potential Biases
The results may be skewed due to the convenience sample and variations in data collection methods across clinics.
Limitations
The study may be biased toward better outcomes as participating clinics are engaged in quality improvement efforts, and the data may not represent the entire diabetes population.
Participant Demographics
{"average_age":59,"gender_distribution":{"female":53,"male":47},"race_ethnicity":{"white":59,"hispanic":21,"african_american":8,"asian":6,"american_indian_alaska_native":3,"native_hawaiian_other_pacific_islander":2,"other":1},"insurance_status":{"commercial":38,"medicare":22,"unknown":19,"no_insurance":8,"medicaid":9,"self_pay":5}}
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website