Diabetes Disease Management Results in Hispanic Medicaid Patients

Objectives. To investigate outcomes of a telephonic nursing disease management program for Medicaid patients with diabetes residing in Puerto Rico.

Study design. A 12-month, matched-cohort study.

Study population. Four hundred and ninety (490) intervention group members matched to 490 controls.

Intervention. Disease management diabetes program. For those in the intervention group, the disease management program customized a self-management intervention plan.

Main outcome measures. Medical service utilization, including hospitalizations, emergency department visits, physician evaluation and management visits, selected clinical indicators, and financial impact.

Results. The intervention group showed significant effects compared with the control group, including a 48% reduction in inpatient bed days, and a 23% increase in ACE inhibitor use, resulting in a return on investment estimate of 3.8:1.

Conclusions. The study demonstrates that a nursing disease management program for diabetes can significantly improve hospitalizations, drug compliance, and vaccinations in a Hispanic Medicaid population.