School of Medicine and Health Sciences Poster Presentations

Diabetes Flowsheet Quality Improvement Project

Document Type

Poster

Abstract Category

Quality Improvement

Keywords

diabetes, flowsheet

Publication Date

Spring 5-1-2019

Abstract

Outpatient management of diabetes involves targeted interventions and investigations aimed at improving diabetes-related complications. In the fast-paced environment of the modern primary care clinic, providers often fall short of meeting the numerous requirements of comprehensive diabetes care. To that end, we have developed a diabetes “flowsheet” for incorporation into the electronic medical record. This flowsheet is comprised of key clinical investigations (e.g. proteinuria) and outcomes (e.g. HbA1C) and may help primary care providers meet diabetes management goals and ultimately improve outcomes. Our goal was to introduce the flowsheet to medical residents and achieve a usership rate of 50% (i.e. 50% of residents would use the flowsheet in their diabetic patients' progress notes). However, our first several PDSA cycles instead focused on addressing two major challenges: creating a flowsheet that balances usability with ease-of-use, and overcoming technical obstacles to incorporation of the flowsheet into a medical note. Moving forward, we will focus our efforts on promoting use of the flowsheet and ultimately evaluate its impact on quality measures and clinical outcomes.

Open Access

1

Comments

Presented at Research Days 2019.

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS
 

Diabetes Flowsheet Quality Improvement Project

Outpatient management of diabetes involves targeted interventions and investigations aimed at improving diabetes-related complications. In the fast-paced environment of the modern primary care clinic, providers often fall short of meeting the numerous requirements of comprehensive diabetes care. To that end, we have developed a diabetes “flowsheet” for incorporation into the electronic medical record. This flowsheet is comprised of key clinical investigations (e.g. proteinuria) and outcomes (e.g. HbA1C) and may help primary care providers meet diabetes management goals and ultimately improve outcomes. Our goal was to introduce the flowsheet to medical residents and achieve a usership rate of 50% (i.e. 50% of residents would use the flowsheet in their diabetic patients' progress notes). However, our first several PDSA cycles instead focused on addressing two major challenges: creating a flowsheet that balances usability with ease-of-use, and overcoming technical obstacles to incorporation of the flowsheet into a medical note. Moving forward, we will focus our efforts on promoting use of the flowsheet and ultimately evaluate its impact on quality measures and clinical outcomes.