Driving Out Diabetes: Two clinical programs provide innovative care for individuals living with diabetes
Driving Out Diabetes, a Larry H. Miller Family Wellness Initiative, launched two clinical programs in fall 2018 at the Utah Diabetes and Endocrinology Center: The Diabetes One-Day Education and Care Program and The Diabetes Complications Program. After 18-months, both programs have been effective in providing innovative care to individuals who are already living with diabetes.
The Diabetes One-Day Education and Care Program provides hybrid diabetes education in group and individual sessions. An interdisciplinary faculty of nurse practitioners, diabetes educators, pharmacists, social workers, chefs, exercise specialists, and physicians present this 8-hour program. At 6-month follow-up, the program has proven successful in helping patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes achieve lower A1C (-0.4%) and lower diabetes distress.
A recent session of the Diabetes One-Day Education and Care Program.
The Diabetes Complications Program uses telehealth to screen for diabetic eye disease in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Fundus photos of the eye are taken as part of the diabetes clinic visit and the images are sent electronically to the Moran Eye Center where a specialty ophthalmologist interprets findings. Approximately half of those screened have had abnormal findings, including non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, macular edema, and hypertensive retinopathy. Four percent of patients required immediate referral for active retinal bleeding. Thus, the screening prevented blindness.
Medical assistant, Marisol Serrato, performs an eye exam on a diabetes patient.
To refer a patient to this program, simply type “Consult diabetes ed & care program” in EPIC or contact Julie Neuberger, program coordinator, at Julie.neuberger@hsc.utah.edu or call 801-587-3930.