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

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 A1C 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.