Program shows diabetic care quality improvement

Score another point for quality improvement using health IT: Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Iowa and its partner MDdatacor have reported positive results from their year-long quality improvement program. The program worked with over 9,000 diabetic patients and their doctors to provide the clinicians with information that would help them manage their patient's diabetes more effectively.

And based on the results, it would seem that it was a resounding success. Prior to the study, only 46 percent of patients were even getting their annual HgA1C test; by the end of the program that number rose to 90 percent.

The percentage of patients with an HgA1C level less than 8 also rose from 37 percent at the beginning to 75 percent at the end. The HgA1C level measures how well controlled a diabetic's glucose levels are.

To learn more about the program:
- read this press release [1]
- read the case study results [2] (.pdf)

Related Articles:
BCBS of MA begins physician analysis program [3]
Tool could help demonstrate ROI on quality improvement [4]
Blues claim improvement in cost and outcomes [5]