Implementation of the Diabetes Practice Guideline in the Army Medical Department: Final Evaluation
Abstract
The Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) initiated a collaborative project in early 1998 to establish a single standard of care in the military and VA health systems. The Army Medical Department (AMEDD) has made a commitment to establishing a structure and process to support its military treatment facilities (MTFs) in implementing evidence-based practice guidelines with the goal of achieving best practices that reduce variation and enhance quality of medical care. AMEDD contracted with RAND to work as a partner in developing and testing implementation of clinical practice guidelines for three conditions: lower back pain, asthma, and diabetes mellitus. The principal emphasis of the DoD/VA diabetes practice guideline is on effective management of blood sugar, with the goal of preventing short-term and long-term complications of the disease. There are five key elements. The first three key elements are the core procedures for diagnosis and management of diabetes, including ongoing patient evaluation, achievement and maintenance of glycemic control, and patient education. The fourth and fifth key elements address early detection and management of diabetes-related clinical problems. Procedures include screening for elevated blood pressure, eye complications, foot lesions, elevated cholesterol or lipids, and renal disease, all of which can lead to life-threatening complications from diabetes. A set of performance indicators for diabetes care has been developed through the Diabetes Quality Improvement Project (DQIP).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA459485
Entities
People
- Donna O. Farley
- Georges Vernez
- J. S. Ashwood
- Kathryn J. Dolter
- Shan Cretin
- Suzanne Pieklik
- Wenli Tu
Organizations
- RAND Corporation