Page 39 - Delaware Medical Journal - May/June 2020
P. 39
ABSTRACTS
Abstracts from page 131
QI POSTER WINNER
1st Prize, Poster
Partnering with the Community for Diabetes Prevention by Jenna Laughlin, DO
Introduction: The CDC currently estimates that over 84 million adults in the US have prediabetes.1 In an effort to combat these overwhelming numbers, the NIH and CDC developed the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), an evidence-based program to reduce the incidence of patients with prediabetes developing type 2 diabetes.2 Although the DPP is available through many YMCA programs, it remains underutilized. Our project aimed to increase referrals from Wilmington Adult Medicine (WAM) to the local DPP between December 2018 and March 2019.
Methods: referral of patients to the local DPP, including lack of resident knowledge about the program and appropriate referral criteria, inconsistent referral process, and no internal framework for tracking follow-up with patients who were referred. Firstly, we created the WAM “DPP Pipeline,” a standardized process for referring patients
to the DPP through a single WAM faculty champion. Next, in conjunction with community representatives from the DPP, we created and delivered education regarding the evidence-based DPP and the DPP Pipeline to residents over a six-week period. Lastly, we emailed the residents with an updated FAQ document after the DPP Pipeline had been created. The numbers of referrals were tracked via a weekly run chart. We also surveyed residents at Week 1 and again at Week 16 about their screening and counseling practices around prediabetes.
Results: From 12/3/18 to 3/29/19, there were a total of 34 referrals placed by 11 unique providers. We saw the highest number of referrals not sustained over subsequent weeks, but increased again during the far as survey data, there was a total of 33 respondents pre-intervention and 28 at Week 16. Provider awareness of the program increased from 27% to 73%. Self-reported counseling about DPP increased from 6% pre-intervention to 63% post-intervention.
Conclusion: Prior to the DPP Pipeline, no standardized referral process existed to connect patients with prediabetes at our residency clinic to the DPP at their local YMCA. We hope to continue to see an increased number of referrals as provider awareness and comfort with referring patients grows. Periodic email reminders may help maintain sustainability. Next steps include following up with patients referred to determine enrollment
rates and those who have completed the program regarding their experience.
CONTRIBUTOR
■ Jenna Laughlin is Chief Resident of the Internal Medicine Program at ChristianaCare. She received her medical degree from the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.
References
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2017. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services; 2017
2. Knowler, W. C. et al. Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin. The New England Journal of Medicine 346, 393-403, https://doi. org/10.1056/NEJMoa012512(2002).
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Del Med J | May/June 2020 | Vol. 92 | No. 3
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