The benefits of inpatient diabetes care: improving quality of care and the bottom line.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the impact of a hospital-wide inpatient diabetes management program on quality of care, length of stay, and cost.


METHODS
A retrospective review was conducted for diabetes identification and treatment in a large tertiary care hospital in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Cultural change was accomplished by educating the healthcare professionals and medical staff. Systems were implemented to better identify patients with diabetes and to focus on quality improvement. Protocols were developed and implemented as tools for improving care. Results were monitored, and quality of care was assessed by examining lengths of stay and financial outcomes.


RESULTS
Hospital-wide training, earlier identification of patients with diabetes, and the implementation of inpatient protocols had positive results on both quality of care and the hospital's bottom line. More patients with diabetes were identified earlier in their stays, care was managed effectively to reduce blood glucose levels, lengths of stay were reduced, and coding was improved to more accurately reflect the complexity of care provided.


CONCLUSIONS
By increasing diabetes awareness hospital-wide and implementing effective identification and management systems, hospitals are well positioned to provide higher-quality diabetes care, which also translates into a positive impact on the bottom line.
Olson
Lanell
L
ediba Diabetes Center of Excellence, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA.
Muchmore
John
J
Lawrence
C Bruce
CB
D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D007902:Length of Stay; D009825:Oklahoma; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies