It is our hope that one day there will be a cure for diabetes, but we Each year our Camps for Kids helps hundreds of children with diabetes …
Spring
2003
Newsletter
TA K I N G O N
Increase in Number of People Diagnosed with Diabetes
20 174 Number Diagnosed in millions 15 111 121 145
Economic Costs of Diabetes in the US in 2002 in billions
Indirect Medical Costs 398
10
103
5
918 Direct Medical Costs
0
1997
Projected
2000
2002 Year
2010
2020
Source: Diabetes Care, March 2003
Source: Diabetes Care, March 2003
The increasing number of people diagnosed with diabetes is due, in part, to better screening and increased public awareness, as well as an increase in the minority and aged populations in this country-both groups having a higher risk for diabetes While an estimated 121 million individuals have been diagnosed, approximately 59 million are unaware they have the disease
Fighting diabetes through research and public education on new treatments and prevention is one of our top priorities at the Department of Health and Human Services–HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson in February 2003, at a press event commenting on the increasing number of people diagnosed with diabetes, and the related costs
Economic Costs of Diabetes Continues to Rise: ADA Releases Report
report released in March 2003 by the American
Diabetes Association ADA focuses on the economic burden associated with diabetes in the United States According to the report, diabetes costs in 2002 reached an estimated 132 billion in the United States, due to lost productivity and direct medical expenditures The direct medical expenditures eg hospitalizations, physician visits, or medications for people with diabetes often are more than double than what is spent for similar individuals who do not have diabetes Diabetes also is associated with higher rates of disability, lost work time, and early mortality The cost estimates do not include the additional noneconomic losses that can be attributed to the pain and suffering for those individuals with diabetes, and their friends and family The cost of diabetes is expected to increase exponentially in the future, mainly attributable to the rising numbers of those being diagnosed and at-risk The ADA estimates that the risk of being diagnosed with diabetes is higher among some of the minority populations in the United States, which could lead to an increase in the percent of the population who has diabetes The increase of obesity across the country also is listed as a major contributing
factor in the prevalence of cases of type 2 diabetes It is estimated that the number of people diagnosed with diabetes will increase from 121 million in 2002 to almost 145 million by 2010 and 174 million by 2020 With such increases, the ADA estimates that the economic cost of diabetes could easily rise to 150 billion per year or more by 2010 These numbers do not take into account the millions of people who have diabetes, but have not yet been diagnosed To control the rising incidence of diabetes and its associated costs, the ADA concludes that there needs to be an increased emphasis placed on diabetes prevention through lifestyle modifications, such as eating a healthy diet and exercising and on the proper management of the disease once it has been diagnosed To view the HHS press release, please go to: http://wwwhhsgov/news/press/2003pres/20030227ahtml To view the full ADA report on the Economic Costs of Diabetes, please go to: http://carediabetesjournalsorg/cgi/reprint/26/3/917pdf
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Taking on Diabetes is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from:
Update on Taking on Diabetes Community Partnerships
NEW MEXICO HEALTH CARE TAKES ON DIABETES The New Mexico Health Care
Takes on Diabetes NMHCTOD coalition continues to develop new educational materials designed for providers, health plans, and community health organizations Recently, the coalition developed a newsletter on cholesterol screening that highlights current clinical recommendations, as well as related resources for clinicians The coalition also has updated their 2002 community-based practice guidelines to meet new ADA clinical practice recommendations, released in December 2002 Both items were mailed to health care providers throughout the state of New Mexico in spring 2003 NMHCTOD also is planning breakfast seminars with health plan provider representatives to discuss their new guidelines in an effort to encourage additional awareness by providers NMHCTOD also was selected to present at the CDC Diabetes Translation Conference in April 2003 in Boston, Massachusetts on Statewide Partnerships at Work NMHCTOD gave a presentation reviewing the successes that the partnership has realized, addressing the barriers that a community partnership faces, and highlighting the successful work in New Mexico in improving outcomes in patients with diabetes as measured by the National Committee for
Quality Assurances Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set HEDIS measures WESTCHESTER COUNTY NEW YORK DIABETES COALITION The Westchester New York Diabetes Coalition WNYDC recently produced an eye referral form that can be used by patients with diabetes, primary care physicians PCPs, and eye care providers to ensure that the appropriate exams are taking place to check for diabetic retinopathy and that the eye exams are being properly documented After much consultation and review, the eye referral form was printed as a pad and will be distributed to physicians in Westchester County for use with their patients with diabetes The frequency and documentation of eye exams for people with diabetes is a significant concern The WNYDC identified an opportunity to address both of these issues simultaneously The coalition in Westchester County also has recently learned that they have been approved as part of a New York State Department of Health grant to pursue a diabetes registry project in Westchester County The funds will be available for three years and the coalition is eager to begin this exciting project The Westchester County New York Diabetes Coalition was also selected to present
a poster at the CDC Diabetes Translation Conference in April 2003 The poster highlighted Better Tools for Better Care and gave the NY coalition a chance to emphasize the tools they have created Both the New Mexico presentation and the Westchester poster can be viewed on the Taking on Diabetes website at wwwtakingondiabetesorg KANSAS CITY COLLABORATIVE During the last year, the UnitedHealthcare/Truman Medical Center group took steps to further expand on the accomplishments reported at the Breakthrough Series Outcomes Congress in February 2002 Since February 2002, the group has restructured the provider organization to follow a chronic care model, allocating more resources to the staff and hiring a dedicated endocrinologist They also have continued educating patients with diabetes by conducting monthly classes that focus on providing general diabetes information, as well as more specific classes addressing diet and exercise UnitedHealthcare/Truman also has established a Metabolic Committee consisting of physicians and other clinicians who are working to implement a treatment protocol to assess patients who are recently diagnosed with diabetes In 2003, the medical center also
submitted an application to the ADA to be recognized nationally as a diabetes self-management education program–the response from the ADA is expected later in 2003 The Aetna, Inc/Kansas City University Family Practice team ended their participation in the initiative after successfully completing the IHI Breakthrough Series in early 2002 The group had many successes over the years, including the development and implementation of Ophthalmology fax forms to assist people in receiving timely eye exams from a health care professional, and the distribution of A1C and microalbumin kits to facilitate timely lab results The team also continues to use the registry database that was created in 2001
Release of Public Service Announcement on Foot Care in Both English Spanish
K
ey to diabetes management are routine foot examinations and proper foot care to prevent complications such as poor circulation, infection, and possible amputation The ADA reports that 82,000 amputations 
are performed each year on people with diabetes-procedures that could be avoided through consistent attention to good foot care To address this important issue, AAHP and the ADA, under the Taking on Diabetes
initiative, teamed up to produce television, print, and audio public service announcements to increase the awareness of the importance for routine foot care for people with diabetes AAHP and ADA kicked off the PSA campaign at an event on Capitol Hill attended by members of the Congressional Diabetes and Hispanic Caucuses The PSAs, featuring Roberto Garza, starting center for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League NFL, will be distributed in English and in Spanish beginning May 21 in markets across the country Roberto Garza is a Hispanic football player born and raised in Texas, who is acutely aware of the risk of diabetes and the need for awareness in the Hispanic community-his grandfather has diabetes and has lost part of a foot as a result of the disease Garza hopes that by hearing the PSA in their native language, more Hispanics will become aware of the need for a healthy diet and exercise to reduce their risk of developing diabetes This PSA complements a prior work by Taking on Diabetes emphasizing the need for eye exams in people with diabetes to prevent diabetic retinopathy To obtain free copies of both the foot care and eye exam electronic PSAs in English or
Spanish please visit the Taking on Diabetes website at wwwtakingondiabetesorg
HHS LAUNCHES FIRST NATIONAL DIABETES PREVENTION CAMPAIGN
Small Steps, Big Rewards emphasizes that modest lifestyle changes–including healthier diets and physical activity–can help people prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease The new campaign, announced in November 2002, is under the direction of the National Diabetes Education Program NDEP, which is jointly sponsored by the US Department of Health and Human Services HHS National Institutes of Health NIH and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC and grew out of the findings of HHS Diabetes Prevention Program DPP clinical trial The study, sponsored by NIH, showed that people with pre-diabetes–those whose blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not yet diabetic– can delay and possibly prevent type 2 diabetes by losing 5 to 7 percent of their body weight through moderate changes in diet and exercise THE SMALL STEPS, BIG REWARDS CAMPAIGN INCLUDES: Lifestyle change tools similar to those used in the successful Diabetes Prevention Program DPP clinical trial so people who are at risk can put them to use
in their every day lives; A health care providers tool kit, which will guide users on how to educate and help their patients; Web-based resources for health care providers and consumers; Partner outreach using NDEPs network of more than 200 partners at the local, state, and national level to deliver the diabetes prevention message and develop appropriate community interventions; Participation of businesses and consumer-based programs and initiatives as partners in diabetes prevention; and Messages and materials for a national public awareness campaign including TV, radio, and print public service announcements HHS National Diabetes Education Program NDEP involves more than 200 public and private sector partners who work at the national, state, and local level More information on the new campaign and on the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes and prediabetes is available at wwwndepnihgov or by calling 1-800-438-5383
Pennsylvania Diabetes Control Program– A Successful Model Statewide Program
Diabetes Mellitus affects more than 500,000 citizens in Pennsylvania alone The Pennsylvania Diabetes Control Program focuses on three major goals: improving the lives of Pennsylvanians
with diabetes, reducing disparities related to diabetes among minority and underserved populations, and preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes through the reduction of risk factors The program uses a population-based approach that focuses on prevention, and some of the program objectives that have been identified include: Increasing awareness of diabetes; Reducing complications; Increasing early diagnosis and increasing the availability of programs addressing psychosocial issues associated with diabetes; and Maintaining a data and surveillance system to better understand the impact of diabetes in Pennsylvania Community-based diabetes initiatives include services such as cooking classes, weight management classes, community and professional education, and assistance with self-management skills The program also focuses on adhering to the standards of care established by the American Diabetes Association, and addresses diabetes in disparate populations by initiating services in African American and Latino populations across the state The program looks to address new areas in the coming years, including awareness, advocacy and a continued look at psychosocial issues for people
with diabetes The program will also collaborate with community partners to promote diabetes as a public health issue For more information on the Pennsylvania Diabetes Control Program, please visit their website at: http://webserverhealthstatepaus/health/site/defaultasp
Taking on Diabetes Searchable Database Available On-Line
AAHP has completed a searchable database located at the Taking on Diabetes website as a tool for diabetes providers, health plans, and other interested parties The database contains examples of programs or initiatives eg models that work that demonstrate effectiveness in improving outcomes for patients with diabetes The results of the database searches present the programs in summary form and also provide the demographics of the plan, such as the size and location The search results also will include what types of individuals eg age group, product line are targeted by the program Taking on Diabetes currently has 15 programs in the database, and we are hoping to increase this number We encourage all types of organizations to submit their programs and achieved results for patients with diabetes for inclusion in the database If you have a program that you would
like to have included in the database or to search existing programs, please visit the Taking on Diabetes website at wwwtakingondiabetesorg
Diabetes at Work Website
In the fall of 2002, the National Diabetes Education Program NDEP collaborated with the American Association of Health Plans, the Washington Business Group on Health, and the National Business Coalition on Health to give employers a comprehensive online resource for assessing and managing diabetes in the workplace This unique online resource is designed for the use of human resource and benefit managers, as well as employees and occupational health care providers Many tools and resources are available on the website, including: A planning guide designed to help users find the materials that best meets their needs for understanding or managing diabetes or other health education programs; A cost assessment tool designed to enable companies to assess their need for diabetes education at the worksite; Recommendations and strategies for choosing health plans that offers extensive diabetes or health education programs; and Information on the impact of worksite programs in regard to increase productivity and reduced
complications The information is available on wwwdiabetesatworkorg, and can be used to assist employers in improving the health and well being of their employees with diabetes, as well as increasing productivity and lowering medical costs
The American Association of Health Plans represents over 1,000 HMOs, PPOs, and other similar health plans that provide coverage for 140 million Americans The American Diabetes Association is the nations leading voluntary health organization supporting diabetes research, information, and advocacy Founded in 1940, the association supports affiliate offices in every region of the country, providing services in more than 800 communities
Source:takingondiabetes.org
