title: Diabetes nurse case management: Improving glucose control: 10 years of quality improvement follow-up data.
abstract: The purpose of this retrospective case-control review is to determine the effectiveness of a registered nurse case managers (RNCMs) certified diabetes educator (CDE) quality improvement case management program. RNCMs have a long tradition of providing chronic care intervention, particularly for the high-risk diabetes population with glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C) of 9% or more. However, limited data are available with regard to evaluation of such programs in a Veterans Health Administration population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A large population (N=3956) of high-risk veterans with a baseline A1C of 9% or more (mean=10.6%) was seen by the RNCM's. Paired T-tests of A1C after the last RNCM visit showed a statistically significant A1C reduction (p<0.001) (mean=8.5%), after 14-26 months of intervention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RNCMs clinical intervention demonstrated significant A1C reduction (~2%). This is an important finding for health care policy makers for planning interventions with respect to long-term management of diabetes mellitus.
authors: For Sharon Watts-Office of Nursing Services Advisor for Metabolic Syndrome & Diabetes Field Advisory Committee, Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Hospital, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA. Electronic address: Sharon.Watts@va.gov.
authors: Sharon A
authors: SA
authors: Watts
authors: Chief Endocrine Section, Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Hospital, Associate Professor Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
authors: Ajay
authors: A
authors: Sood
mesh_terms: D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis*; D019090:Case Management; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000451:nursing*; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D058996:Quality Improvement; D014728:Veterans
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin
keywords: Diabetes; Primary care; Registered nurse case management