- Describe your topic.
- For adult patients in underserved populations (indigent, minority, homeless), what are medications and/or interventions proven effective for patient engagement with and PCP management of chronic health conditions such as Diabetes and Hypertension? With limited access to resources, improving indicators in chronic diseases is challenging. What are cost effective methods to engage the patient more to control their chronic health condition? (Education methods, reading material, access to online resources?)
- Describe why this topic is important.
- Underserved populations (especially low income or homeless population) often have higher incidence of uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension despite medication to treat the condition. As primary care providers, management of these conditions is difficult when the patient does not actively engage in their own treatment plan. Providing resources to supplement the medication which can be utilized regardless of economic potentially is an approach to managing the diseases.
- Tell us why you are suggesting this topic.
- As part of a primary care system serving indigent, minority, and low income patients, diabetes and hypertension are two of the most difficult chronic conditions to control yet are part of the national recommendations for quality measures.
- Target Date.
- Describe what you are doing currently and what you are hoping will change because of a new evidence report.
- It is currently unclear what evidence there is for this population that provides evidence to implement a quality process. There is little research available in to effective, non-cost prohibitive treatment/education methods to more fully engage the patient in helping control and manage their condition. Currently each provider is educating in their own way verbally and with medications with no other resources.
- How will you or your group use the information from a new evidence report?
- Using an evidence based study, our quality improvement specialist will be a PDSA cycle to implement strategies to improve engagement and ultimately to have clinical data that patient outcomes are improving.
- How would you or your group plan to disseminate information from the report? Who would you plan to disseminate it to?
- Dissemination would be to our practice and to other FQHC with similar population struggles
- Do you know of organizations that could use an evidence report to change clinical practice? Are you a part of, or have you been in contact with, any organizations that might implement the research findings of an evidence report?
- I have not been in contact with any other centers, but any FQHC or HRSA funded site would benefit from this research in implementing measures to more effectively control the health outcomes that are associated with chronic conditions. There are multiple CMS eCQM measures associated with chronic conditions that CMS centers would be interested in improving.
- Information About You: (optional)
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- Provide a description of your role or perspective.
- Health Informatics and Quality Improvement Specialist
- If you are you making a suggestion on behalf of an organization, please state the name of the organization.
- Alabama Regional Medical Center
- Please tell us how you heard about the Effective Health Care Program.
- Email newsletter from AHRQ
