1019-OR: Patient and Cost Outcomes of a Proactive Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (CDCES) Program

Introduction and Objective: Diabetes affects approximately one in 10 Americans and costs the nation an estimated $413 billion annually. While Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) services improve health outcomes, utilization remains low due to various barriers. To address this, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Division of Endocrinology partnered with the UPMC Health Plan to launch a proactive CDCES program. This study aims to analyze the cost and clinical outcomes for program participants compared to a control group. Methods: The intervention group consisted of individuals with type 2 diabetes who engaged with the proactive CDCES group between January and December 2023. In contrast, the comparison group included individuals with type 2 diabetes who had access to CDCES services via standard referral pathways. For the analysis, 2,082 individuals in the proactive CDCES intervention were matched with 6,246 controls using an optimal 1:3 propensity score matching ratio based on clinical and demographic criteria. T-tests and Chi-square tests of proportions were used to evaluate 12-month changes in HbA1c levels, health care costs per member per month (PMPM), and utilization. Results: After matching, average HbA1c was 8.7±2.1 in both CDCES and control groups. Within 12 months, the intervention group demonstrated a significantly greater reduction in HbA1c compared to the control group (-7.6% vs. 5.9%, p=0.0002). Total cost PMPM was 38% lower in the intervention group (p<0.0001). The intervention group also experienced significantly lower hospital inpatient and observation utilization, alongside significantly higher Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) utilization (all p<0.0001). Conclusion: The proactive CDCES program led to bigger decreases in HbA1c levels, lower unplanned healthcare utilization, and higher CGM prescriptions while significantly reducing total cost of care. To improve clinical and cost outcomes, healthcare systems should implement strategies that increase CDCES utilization. Disclosure E. Karslioglu French: None. M.E. Knueven: None. J. Kanter: None. T. Grumski: None. H. McClain: None. E. Beckjord: Advisory Panel; Current; Omada Health, Inc.