WVMI & Quality Insights - Practice Transformation  
Improving Hypertension and Diabetes Care & Prevention   
CMS Proposes Expansion of the Diabetes Prevention Program  

On July 7, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed changes to the Physician Fee Schedule to transform how Medicare pays for primary care through a new focus on care management and behavioral health designed to recognize the importance of the primary care work physicians perform. The rule also proposes policies to expand the Diabetes Prevention Program within Medicare starting January 1, 2018. This is the first time a preventive service model from the CMS Innovation Center would be expanded into the Medicare program.

In March 2016, CMS announced that the Diabetes Prevention Program met the statutory eligibility criteria for expansion into Medicare. CMS is now proposing to expand the Diabetes Prevention Program into Medicare beginning January 1, 2018. Its proposal would allow Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program suppliers, recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to submit claims to Medicare for providing diabetes prevention services. CMS is proposing a process for suppliers to enroll in the program so they can furnish services and bill Medicare as soon as possible after the program becomes effective.

"Through expansion of the Diabetes Prevention Program, beneficiaries across the nation will be able to access a community-based intervention that prevents diabetes and keeps people healthy. This is part of our efforts for better care, smarter spending, and healthier people," said Patrick Conway, Acting Principal Deputy Administrator and CMS Chief Medical Officer. "Today's proposal is an exciting milestone for prevention and population health."

CMS hopes that the expansion of the Diabetes Prevention Program into Medicare can serve as a model for employers and insurers who may want to initiate diabetes prevention programs in th eir populations as well. Visit the CMS website to learn more about the Diabetes Prevention Program.
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How Healthy is Your State? Find Out Using a New CDC Data Widget

A new data widget is now available and provides an easy-to-use online platform for viewing Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data. The widget was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Community Health and Division of Population Health using BRFSS Prevalence and Trends Data. The widget allows users to explore state- and national-level data for cholesterol, diabetes, heart attack, high blood pressure, fruits and vegetables, overweight and obesity, physical activity, stroke, and tobacco use.
 
Here are a few Delaware-specific statistics that were generated using this new widget:
  • In 2013, 35.6 percent of adults in DE reported having high blood pressure, which is higher than the national rate of 31.4 percent.
  • In 2014, 11.1 percent of adults in DE reported having diabetes, which is higher than the national rate of 10.0 percent.
How does your practice stack up?
  • How many hypertensive patients do you have? Are they aware of their diagnosis?
  • Do you screen for prediabetes? Consider using these screening tools with your patients as they wait for their visit or add to your patient portal. 
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Delaware Practice Highlights

LaRed Health Center Promotes Diabetes Self-Management Program to Spanish Speaking Population

LaRed Health Center recently engaged in the FREE Diabetes Self-Management Program (DSMP) referral letter campaign with close to 900 of its patients living with diabetes. LaRed will be hosting on-site DSMP classes to make attendance more convenient for patients.

Additionally, La Red is addressing its Spanish speaking patient population by:
  • Mailing a Spanish version of the DSMP referral letter to promote the program
  • Having a bilingual Community Health Worker conduct the follow-up phone calls for the program
  • Including bilingual staff in the DSMP course to assist with translation needs
  • Distributing Walgreens diabetes brochures that includes coupons for diabetes supplies to all participants that complete at least 4 of the 6 DSMP classes. 
Moving forward with the DSMP referral campaign, Quality Insights plans to identify patients with United Healthcare Medicaid insurance and make patients aware that if they complete the DSMP course they will receive a $50 Visa gift card.  
 
Henrietta Johnson Medical Center Addresses Medication Adherence During Each Patient Visit

Henrietta Johnson Medical Center (HJMC) is using the capabilities of its electronic health record (EHR) system to address patient medication adherence.

During the intake process, one of HJMC's medical assistants reviews each patient's medication list and asks them if they are having difficulty with any of their medications, such as side effects, remembering to take medication, etc. If the answer is yes, the medical assistant will check, "Not taking as prescribed," in the EHR and then adds a comment into the system which includes specific details for the provider to discuss with the patient.

Additionally, HJMC uses an Allscripts EHR system in its that provides coupons for medications. As a general practice, HJMC passes these coupons along to its patients to help defray the cost of some medications.

If you are an Allscripts EHR user and would like more information using the prescription functionality in your practice to increase medication adherence, please contact Ashley Corzine, Quality Insights Practice Transformation Specialist, at acorzine@wvmi.org.
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Encourage Your Patients with Diabetes to Enroll in the Dining with Diabetes Program 

The Dining with Diabetes program is designed for people with diabetes and their family members. The four-class series includes diabetes education, cooking demonstrations and tasting of healthy foods. After each lesson, participants will take home recipes and knowledge about how to manage diabetes in their daily lives.
 
Class Demonstrations:
  • Class 1 - Mealtime for Diabetics
  • Class 2 - Desserts
  • Class 3 - Main Dishes
  • Class 4 - Side Dishes
Who can participate?
People with diabetes and their family members, caregivers and support persons can enroll in Dining with Diabetes. Persons with basic nutrition education for diabetes will benefit most. Dining with Diabetes is designed to complement, not replace, diabetes management classes.
 
Who are the instructors?
Classes are taught by University of Delaware Cooperative Extension staff consisting of Registered Dietitians, Health Educators and Nutrition Assistants and Master Food Educator Volunteers.
 
Want more information?
For additional details about the program, please download this informational Dining with Diabetes brochure, which also includes a registration form.
 
Quality Insights encourages you to distribute the brochure to all your patients with diabetes to put them on the right path towards healthier eating.
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Let Us Know About Your Hypertension and Diabetes Treatment Protocols

WVMI & Quality Insights is working with the Delaware Division of Public Health to encourage practices to implement guidelines that will improve the treatment and follow-up care for patients who have either hypertension and/or diabetes. It is very important that every Delaware practice completes an online assessment that will us to gather information about the protocols and procedures that you may be using in treatment and follow-up on these chronic diseases. 

Thank you to those practices that have already completed this assessment. If your practice has not yet had a chance to complete it, please do so at your earliest convenience.
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Contacts:
1.877.987.4687, Ext. 137

1.877.987.4687, Ext. 127
 
  
This publication was supported by the Cooperative Agreement Number 1U58DP004799-01 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.