With diabetes rates in the United States at epidemic proportions, a consortium of 30 health care organizations will meet Feb. 12-13 in Seattle to learn about a new approach to management of diabetes and other types of chronic disease. This unique statewide program trains doctors to redesign their medical practices to improve management of diabetes. Eventually, the concept may prove effective in delivering better care for other chronic illnesses, such as heart disease and breast cancer. The Washington State Diabetes Collaborative II is the second 13-month effort to help busy physicians proactively manage their patients' diabetes.
Providers then coach patients to manage their disease better and maintain good health.
Key features of the program are a patient notification and charting system that ensures routine medical visits and regular blood tests, foot, eye, kidney and other exams. The unfortunate result is that many people with chronic diseases often fall between the cracks of the health care system. The Centers for Disease Control reported in January that diabetes rates rose an unprecedented 6 percent among adults in 1999. The CDC noted that the diabetes epidemic has paralleled the sharply increased rates of obesity in America in the last decade. More than 16 million Americans have diabetes.