New Type 2 Diabetes Study Results from University of Chicago Described (Quality of Care for Us Adults With Medicaid Insurance and Type 2 Diabetes In Federally Qualified Health Centers Compared With Other Primary Care Settings): Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases and Conditions – Type 2 Diabetes

2022 NOV 14 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Education Daily Report -- Current study results on Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases and Conditions - Type 2 Diabetes have been published. According to news reporting originating in Chicago, Illinois, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “The objective of this study was to evaluate indicators of diabetes quality of care for US nonelderly, adult Medicaid enrollees with type 2 diabetes and compare federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) versus non-FQHCs. We analyzed diabetes process measures and acute health services utilization with 2012 US fee-for-service and managed care Medicaid claims in all 50 states and DC.”

Funders for this research include US Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) under HRSA, NIH National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from the University of Chicago, “We compared FQHC (N=121,977) to non-FQHC patients (N=700,401) using propensity scores to balance covariates and generalized estimating equation models. Overall, laboratory-based process measures occurred more frequently (range, 65.7%-76.6%) than measures requiring specialty referrals (retinal examinations, 33.3%; diabetes education, 3.4%). Compared with non-FQHC patients, FQHC patients had about 3 percentage point lower rates of each process measure, except for higher rates of diabetes education [relative risk=1.09, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03-1.16]. FQHC patients had fewer overall [incident rate ratio (IRR)=0.87, 95% CI: 0.86-0.88] and diabetes-related hospitalizations (IRR=0.79, 95% CI: 0.77-0.81), but more overall (IRR=1.06, 95% CI: 1.05-1.07) and diabetes-related emergency department visits (IRR=1.10, 95% CI: 1.08-1.13). This national analysis identified opportunities to improve diabetes management among Medicaid enrollees with type 2 diabetes, especially for retinal examinations or diabetes education. Overall, we found slightly lower rates of most diabetes care process measures for FQHC patients versus non-FQHC patients. Despite having higher rates of emergency department visits, FQHC patients were significantly less likely to be hospitalized than non-FQHC patients.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “These findings emphasize the need to identify innovative, effective approaches to improve diabetes care for Medicaid enrollees, especially in FQHC settings.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Quality of Care for Us Adults With Medicaid Insurance and Type 2 Diabetes In Federally Qualified Health Centers Compared With Other Primary Care Settings. Medical Care, 2022;60(11):813-820. Medical Care can be contacted at: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Two Commerce Sq, 2001 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA. (Lippincott Williams and Wilkins - www.lww.com; Medical Care - http://journals.lww.com/lww-medicalcare/pages/default.aspx)

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Neda Laiteerapong, University of Chicago, Sect Gen Internal Med, Dept. of Medicine, 5841 South Maryland Ave, Chicago, IL 60637, United States. Additional authors for this research include Alexandra C. Knitter, Wen Wan, Elbert S. Huang, Marshall H. Chin, Manoradhan Murugesan, Loren Saulsberry, Robert S. Nocon and Joshua Bolton.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1097/MLR.0000000000001766. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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