|
|
|
April 5, 2016 STAKEHOLDERS SEEK PARTNERSHIP TO IMPROVE DIABETES CARE, HEALTH OUTCOMES AND HEALTH EQUITYNew Data Identifies Pervasive Diabetes Problem In Communities Throughout Missouri
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — New research from the Hospital Industry Data Institute underscores how health factors and outcomes vary significantly by Missouri community — even among nearly adjacent ZIP codes — demonstrating the chasms in health equity geographically and demographically. The research is designed to help stakeholders identify the scope of the problem and drive statewide engagement on mitigation strategies for use in high-risk and high-diagnosis communities. Although diabetes-related programs exist throughout the state for specific populations, communities or aspects of disease, the programs’ goals and efforts aren’t necessarily connected. To address the full spectrum of diabetes prevention, screening and treatment, Missouri health care leaders are convening a diabetes stakeholder network. The group will explore how collectively they can better coordinate existing programs and identify new opportunities to reduce diabetes prevalence and disparity. “Sociodemographic status is a significant factor in diabetes,” according to Mat Reidhead, Vice President of Research and Analytics, and author of the research. “Communities separated by as few as four miles can have vastly different expected diagnosis and mortality rates. A Missourian's ZIP code can be a powerful predictor of their health.” The burden of diabetes is disproportionately high for racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. In addition to behavioral and physiological factors, social determinants of health, such as income, education, housing and access to nutritious food, are key drivers of the variation in the incidence of Type 2 diabetes in the U.S., particularly among racial and ethnic minorities. It is estimated that 26 million adults ages 20 and older in the U.S. live with diabetes. Last year in Missouri, 6.8 percent of the black adult population ages 18 and older were diagnosed with diabetes during an inpatient hospitalization or emergency department visit. In relative terms, this was 71 percent higher than 4 percent of white adults diagnosed in a hospital setting. Understanding the social determinants that influence health behaviors and outcomes is critical to improving health status in Missouri. Moreover, understanding community-level variation based on social determinants enables stakeholders to focus expertise and resources in the communities of greatest need. “In Missouri, like the rest of the U.S., diabetes is a health issue that affects every community — rural, suburban and urban,” noted Karen Edison, M.D., Director of the Center for Health Policy at the University of Missouri. According to the new data, in 2015, the state’s highest overall rates of diabetes diagnosis in a hospital setting were in Iron and Jasper counties. Higher diagnosis rates for black Missourians were found throughout the state, most notably in Monroe and Pettis counties where 10 percent of black adults were diagnosed in a hospital setting last year. High rates for black adults were also observed in Lincoln, Warren, Lafayette, Bates and Jasper counties, where 8 percent or more of the black population were diagnosed with diabetes during 2015. “Diabetes is driving health disparities and contributing to poor outcomes, including cardiovascular, neurological, eye and kidney disease,” said Eric Armbrecht, Ph.D., Associate Professor at the Saint Louis University Center for Outcomes Research. “We stand with other leaders in Missouri to support people with diabetes in their efforts to achieve full health.” Further, the report addresses how diabetes is driving health care costs. For example, researchers suggest that 1 in 10 health care dollars is attributed to diabetes care in the U.S., with the total economic burden of diabetes estimated to be $245 billion nationally in 2012. Adjusting this figure for Missouri suggests the state’s economic burden may exceed $5.1 billion annually. “There’s great opportunity to build on stakeholders’ current efforts,” said Herb B. Kuhn, MHA President and CEO. “We can reduce duplication, harness innovation and build our outreach efforts. And, we can aim toward a more efficient system where every Missourian challenged by diabetes — whether they live in rural or urban areas of the state — is able to live their life to the healthiest and fullest extent possible.” The first stakeholder meeting was held Friday, April 1. Attendees included the following. # # # |
