Introduction
Developing a comprehensive inpatient and outpatient program for people with diabetes is essential in managing the disease. The program seeks to define patients’ lifestyles, treatment, and prevention plans. Health reforms now demand the creation of effective diabetes management programs to cut down the cost of treatment and improve patients’ health. However, utilization and implementation of such health programs face various issues requiring critical decision-making. Implementation of diabetes programs has both financial and clinical advantages. Overcoming the fiscal and resource utilization issues in the development of a comprehensive diabetes program is essential for the improvement of health and the reduction of treatment costs.
Inpatient and Outpatient Components of Diabetic Management
Management of diabetes entails multiple components, including pharmacological treatment, diet and exercise, stress control, patient education, and monitoring of blood glucose levels and oral medication. The primary goal of incorporating these management elements is to control the patient’s blood glucose, thus preventing diabetic-related complications (Cunning & Sinclair, 2020). Pharmacological treatments such as insulin injections help diabetes patients to control blood sugar levels. The patients are also advised to consume a healthy diet composed of a high intake of vegetables and fruits while avoiding sugar and sodium (Rodriguez-Saldana, 2019). Physical health is also critical, so people with diabetes are encouraged to maintain a healthy weight through exercise. Living in a stress-free environment is vital in maintaining blood sugar levels (Rodriguez-Saldana, 2019). Effectively managing diabetes is demanding, hence, patients need to be educated about the appropriate lifestyle and actions to take in recovery (Cunning & Sinclair, 2020). The other component entails monitoring blood glucose levels and oral medication. These activities ensure that the patient’s recovery process is smooth and that no medical complications will be recorded.
Regulatory Impact on Diabetic Management
With increasing cases of diabetes every day, the government has proposed the development of health reforms to manage the disease. Healthcare facilities are being pushed to create disease management-specific programs to reduce the cost of disease management (Rodriguez-Saldana, 2019). Disease-specific management programs help improve care delivery and patient care and minimize treatment costs. An increasing rate of diabetes in the general population increases healthcare utilization costs (Rodriguez-Saldana, 2019). The diseases spike the insurance plans and general health expenditure for a nation. In other words, the government is forced to spend more on the health budget than before. Diabetic management programs focus on in-house care procedures formulated to improve health and reduce the risk of diabetes complications (Cunning & Sinclair, 2020). Furthermore, the programs are designed to offer preventative measures, patient education, and counseling mechanisms. While operating within the programs, patients can receive personalized care by communicating their needs to the caregiver (Cunning & Sinclair, 2020). The disease-specific programs ensure the implementation of disease management components, reducing chances of mortality and saving treatment costs.
Disease Management Components
Disease-specific programs are formed with step-by-step elements that ensure the disease’s management. The components include identifying the target population, which targets people with certain diseases, especially chronic and expensive ones (Cunning & Sinclair, 2020). The second step involves selecting evidence-based guidelines to better educate patients on how to control chronic diseases (Rodriguez-Saldana, 2019). Collaborative practices are another element in which multidisciplinary teams are formed to help manage disease (Haque et al., 2021). The fourth procedure identifies health risks and interventions for the condition. Patient self-management education comprises behavior changes, prevention measures, and patient support groups (Haque et al., 2021). Another essential element is measuring and evaluating the management process and outcome (Haque et al., 2021). The last component, monitoring and tracking the healthcare system, involves routine reporting of caregivers and patients using appropriate information technology.
Financial Outcomes
A comprehensive case management program for diabetes is beneficial because it saves treatment costs. Haque et al. (2021) state that 10.5% of the US population has been diagnosed with diabetes. These patients incur approximately 2.3 times higher treatment expenditures than they would without diabetes (Haque et al., 2021). The case management program would ensure reduced costs by educating the population on preventive measures, early screening, and the influence of a healthy lifestyle (Haque et al., 2021). From an organizational perspective, a case management program is financially beneficial by reducing excessive costs incurred in the treatment process.
Clinical Outcomes
Clinically, a case management program for diabetes enhances the quality of care, patient satisfaction, and general health outcomes. The various steps in developing case management programs ensure that the program delivers high-quality care (Rodriguez-Saldana, 2019). The in-house personalization of care and patient education guarantees patient satisfaction (Rodriguez-Saldana, 2019). The primary goal of a case management program is to deliver the best care, and the expectations for the outcomes are equally high. Such a program ensures reduced cases of diabetes, faster recovery, and minimal complications and mortality rate (Rodriguez-Saldana, 2019). The program also reduces societal burdens by extending insurance coverage plans for financially unstable patients (Rodriguez-Saldana, 2019). Education on lifestyles encourages the patient and immediate family to live a positive lifestyle by consuming healthy diets and exercising.
Resources Needed to Implement
Various decisions must be made to implement a disease-specific care program. One of the decisions is identifying the most appropriate diabetics for the program. Selecting the most affected population is key to effectively utilizing fiscal resources (Powers et al., 2020). The other decision entails identifying various stakeholders of the program. To form a multidisciplinary team, stakeholders, such as physicians and doctors, must be people who can collaborate professionally (Powers et al., 2020). Proper decisions about implementation costs and expected health outcomes should be made. The program should be formulated so that implementation cuts down treatment while improving health outcomes.
The implementing team must also consider the choice of diabetes management interventions suitable for the program. Effective interventions seek to improve patient’s life (Powers et al., 2020). For example, adherence to medication, adjustment of lifestyle, and disease education to the patient are perfect interventions for diabetics. The last decision to be made is measuring the program value and performance (Powers et al., 2020). Measuring the value of the program and its performance guarantees that patients will benefit from it.
Conclusion
A comprehensive disease-specific program improves health outcomes and decreases treatment costs. A diabetic management program comprises components that enable quality care delivery. Government health reforms encourage healthcare facilities to create diabetes management programs to cut treatment costs and improve health outcomes. Early screening, preventative measures, and other patient education interventions result in financial and clinical benefits. Implementing diabetes case management programs requires making several decisions. These deliberations ensure that the right population, interventions, teams, budget, and objectives are selected for proper implementation. The results of the overall program implementation are better health outcomes and reduced diabetes-related deaths.
References
Dunning, T., & Sinclair, A. J. (2020). Care of people with diabetes: A manual for healthcare practice. John Wiley & Sons.
Haque, W. Z., Demidowich, A. P., Sidhaye, A., Golden, S. H., & Zilbermint, M. (2021). The financial impact of an inpatient diabetes management service. Current Diabetes Reports, 21(2), 1-9. Web.
Powers, M. A., Bardsley, J. K., Cypress, M., Funnell, M. M., Harms, D., Hess-Fischl, A., & Uelmen, S. (2020). Diabetes self-management education and support in adults with type 2 diabetes: A consensus report of the American Diabetes Association, the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of PAs, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, and the American Pharmacists Association. Diabetes Care, 43(7), 1636-1649. Web.
Rodriguez-Saldana, J. (2019). The diabetes textbook: Clinical principles, patient management and public health issues. Springer.