Diabetes

A new Kentucky state law that expands prescribing authority for advanced practice registered nurses took effect Tuesday, the same day that a study was published touting the benefits of having nurses manage care for patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

People with type 1 or 2 diabetes now have a new means of getting their medication, with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval on Friday of the first inhaled medicine for the blood sugar disease.

Geisinger Health System's use of a diabetes care system among high-risk patients produced lower risks of myocardial infarction, stroke and retinopathy over a three-year period, according to a study in The American Journal of Managed Care. Best of all, most of the benefit accrued in the first year of care.

Using a system for primary care management of patients with diabetes may reduce the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, and retinopathy over a 3-year period.

Adherence is important to improving the health outcomes of patients with diabetes. Health technology and digital tools are just on way providers are encouraging patients to remain consistent with the treatment regimens.

The Senate introduced legislation this week that would require Medicare to consider patients' finances when deciding whether to punish a hospital for readmission numbers.

Most illnesses today are measured in terms of their effects on daily activities, but who do not always consider the outcomes based on the patient's perspectives. Many clinical studies instead apply standardized measures that identify quality of life as an important outcome. Advancing research methodologies, including new approaches to clinical research, should inform this discussion by centering medical decision making on the preferences of the most important stakeholder-the patient.

As the bill for providing healthcare in the United States continues to grow, hospitals are finding that many of their expenses can be chalked up to patients with chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart failure taking avoidable trips to the emergency room (ER).

Reports that artificial pancreas technology is advancing, and that multiple projects will soon start "at home" studies, created excitement at the 74th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association.

Studies presented at the American Diabetes Association's meeting in San Francisco took a deeper look at what the presence of fat does to overweight children. Researchers found that signs of trouble emerge early, with implications for the treatment of youths with type 1 diabetes, and those at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

A symposium on the new drug class, SGLT2 inhibitors, drew plenty of interest from attendees at the American Diabetes Association meeting in San Francisco. SGLT2 inhibitors have gained notice, both for their ability to reduce A1C levels and for their potential to help patients lose weight.

A symposium that focused on the relationship between behavioral health and diabetes examined how the challenges of living with the disease wear on patients over time, ahead of results presented Sunday showing that much of what is diagnosed as "depression" in diabetes may not be. Presenters offered 3 models for better coordination of care.

Studies released at the 74th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association included results of programs to get patients to take more control over their own care.

A diabetes patient navigator program in Birmingham, Alabama, a joint project of the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation and Sanofi US, resulted in lower A1C levels for its participants. Patients also reported higher levels of satisfaction in managing their disease.

Two studies presented at the American Diabetes Association's 74th Scientific Sessions show that evaluating diabetes risk and patient health by nation of origin and ethnic background yields richer insights into how the disease affects populations.​

Trimming the costs of diabetes to the healthcare system will take multiple strategies, but there's a lack of consensus on precisely how each will work. Are the new recommendations on statins worth the cost?

For years, the standard for treating type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been step therapy. Patients are told to make changes in their diets and to exercise more. Then, most start metformin; if T2DM progresses, doctors add drugs from among the dozen other classes, either alone but typically in combination.

Deneen Vojta, MD, UnitedHealth Group, says that the healthcare landscape is shifting to delivery models that focus on greater value-based care, such as accountable care models.

Teresa Pearson, MS, RN, CDE, Innovative Health Care Designs, LLC, uses her experience as a diabetes educator to discuss how community care teams can build an effective virtual healthcare delivery system.

Jan Berger, MD, MJ, moderates a discussion on the evolution of the diabetes care team. She is joined by Starlin Haydon-Greatting, MS, BSPharm, FAPhA , Geoffrey Joyce, PhD, Edmund Pezalla, MD, MPH, and Rebecca Killion, MA.

This panel, led by moderator Dennis Scanlon, PhD, Penn State University, asks the question, "Why should a payer or a plan be involved in patient care?" Dr Scanlon is joined by panelists Teresa Pearson, MS, RN, CDE, FAADE; Deneen Vojta, MD; Todd Prewitt, MD, FAAFP; and Amy Tenderich.

Robert Gabbay, MD, PhD, discusses the changes he wishes to see in the healthcare system that he calls a "journey toward quality," and with his work at the Joslin Diabetes Center, he dreams of ridding the world of diabetes by implementing innovation.

Starlin Haydon-Greatting, MS, BSPharm, claims that pharmacist education has changed; by furthering education and credentials, a pharmacist's role in the healthcare world can extend far beyond what were once thought to be the traditional roles of the pharmacist. Pharmacists' involvement in programs such as the Medication Therapy Management, for example, can have a positive impact on health management in general.

Jan Berger, MD, MJ, begins the discussion by asking the panelists what they believe to be the biggest challenge in addressing diabetes.

Josh Benner, PharmD, ScD, President and Founder of RxAnti, discusses a new program designed to help improve medication adherence through a better engagement of healthcare providers.