American College of Physicians’ Team-Based Approach Improves Diabetes Care

A team-based approach involving physicians, other health care professionals, and patients is working to improve the treatment of diabetes in the U.S. It’s an initiative from the nation’s largest specialty organization, the American College of Physicians (ACP) (www.acponline.org) and its Foundation (ACPF), called “Closing the Gap.” The program seeks to make changes, or close the gap, between clinical “best practices” and the care actually provided in a physician’s office. The diabetes initiative works by training teams that usually involve an internist, a nurse, and a staff assistant to improve the quality of care for patients with diabetes.

To help patients and physicians, the program includes a patient guide designed for education and empowerment, a clinical guide for use by physicians and multi-disciplinary teams providing care to patients with diabetes, and a free Web-based (http://diabetes.acponline.org) resource for physicians and patients that provides tools, resources, and research supporting diabetes care.

Team-Based Results of Diabetes Initiative:

 —  50 percent improvement in the average number of days between patient     office visits for diabetes (from 115 days to 58). —  40 percent increase in annual urine albumin testing (a test for kidney     damage). —  62 percent increase in annual dilated eye exams (29 percent to 47). —  100 percent increase in influenza vaccinations (26 percent to 52). —  Improvements also were seen in patients’ lipid levels such as lower     total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.      

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 Contact: Steve Majewski American College of Physicians 215-351-2514 Email Contact

SOURCE: American College fo Physicians