Center for Health Transformation Georgia Project

Spanish Version of the MyPlate Icon

In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month [Sept. 15 and runs through Oct. 15] the U.S. Department of Agriculture introduced a Spanish version of the MyPlate icon. 

From the CDC Fact Sheet 'Prevalence of Diabetes among Hispanics In Six U.S. Geographic Locations:'
Diabetes disproportionately affects Hispanics in the United States. Where Hispanics reside may be a key factor in how diabetes impacts their lives. Differences in access to quality health care, social and cultural factors, or the genetic makeup of the Hispanic population in a specific area may explain disparities in diabetes prevalence. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a study to examine the prevalence of diabetes among Hispanics in six U.S. geographical areas from 1998 to 2002.
Key Findings

• Among U.S. regions with the greatest proportion of Hispanic residents—California, Florida, Illinois, New York/New Jersey, Texas, and Puerto Rico—the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes among adults18 and older was 7.4 percent.
• Prevalence of diabetes among Hispanics varied by region from 6.2 percent in Illinois and New York/New Jersey to 9.3 percent in Puerto Rico.
• Diabetes tends to strike Hispanics at younger ages than the non-Hispanic white population. California had the highest rate of diabetes among younger Hispanics. Among adults aged 18 to 44 years, 3.2 percent of Hispanics had diagnosed diabetes compared with 1.3 percent of non-Hispanic whites in that age group.
• The Hispanic population in the United States is younger the non-Hispanic population. When accounting for the different age distributions, the overall prevalence of diabetes among Hispanics was almost twice that of non-Hispanic whites (9.8 percent vs. 5.0 percent).  
• In all geographic areas, diabetes rates increased with age. Illinois had the highest rates among middle-aged adults aged 45-54 years (15.9 percent vs. 4.6 percent) and among adults aged 65 years and older (25.8 percent vs.15.0 percent)
• Prevalence of diabetes decreased with higher education levels. Among Hispanics with less than a high school education, 11.8 percent had diabetes compared to 7.0 percent of college graduates.

Metrics

As we work through our 21st Century Healthy Communities to change the health of the community we are constantly searching for ways to measure progress.  One tool that is available is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: National Diabetes Surveillance System.  County level estimates of numbers of adults diagnosed with diabetes and percentage of adults diagnosed with diabetes are now available at  http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/DDT_STRS2/CountyPrevalenceData.aspx?StateId=13.  The site is easy to use and allows the data to be downloaded in multiple formats. 

Metrics are critical in community based initiatives.  We would be interested in hearing from you about the measures you are following to assess the impact of your community initiatives.

NCQA Diabetes Recognized Physicians in Georgia

To prevent the devastating complications of diabetes, NCQA encourages the provision of comprehensive, quality health care to people with diabetes through the Diabetes Physician Recognition Program (DPRP). DPRP, developed by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and the     American Diabetes Association (ADA), awards recognition to physicians who demonstrate that they provide high quality care to patients with diabetes.

A major goal of the CHT Georgia Project is to increase the number of physicians in Georgia who are recognized by NCQA for quality diabetes care.  Over the past three years we have increased that number from 5 to 190.  WellStar Health System led the way with over 60 of their physicians receiving DPRP recognition. 

We believe that patients receiving care from DPRP recognized physicians will be much more likely to receive the recommended care, have decreased complications, improved health and cost less to manage their care.  A Towers Perrin reportestimated a potential savings of $1,059 when blood pressure, HbA1C, and LDL control measures are met.