A Medicaid-Funded Statewide Diabetes Quality Improvement Collaborative: Ohio 2020‒2022.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Diabetes Management

Background:

• Diabetes remains a significant public health concern, disproportionately affecting certain populations.
• Improving diabetes care quality and achieving health equity are critical challenges in healthcare systems.
• Existing quality improvement initiatives may not fully address the complexities of diabetes management across diverse patient groups.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a statewide diabetes quality improvement collaborative using a collective impact model.
• To improve diabetes health outcomes and advance health equity in primary care settings.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a collaborative approach in a real-world healthcare setting.

Main Methods:

• A collective impact model was employed to create a statewide collaborative.
• 20 primary care practices across Ohio were recruited between 2020 and 2022.
• Collaboration involved the Ohio Department of Medicaid, Medicaid Managed Care Plans, and seven medical schools.

Main Results:

• The percentage of patients with hemoglobin A1c greater than 9% decreased from 25% to 20% over two years.
• The collaborative demonstrated a measurable improvement in a key diabetes indicator.
• The initiative successfully engaged multiple stakeholders in diabetes care improvement.

Conclusions:

• The collective impact model is an effective strategy for improving diabetes outcomes.
• Wider application of this model could accelerate progress in diabetes health equity.
• Collaborative efforts are essential for addressing complex public health issues like diabetes.