Diabetes Discharge Planning is this the latest Topic in Focus at the Diabetes Best Practices Website
Attention to the transition from in-patient to outpatient care for diabetes patients is a national priority, and a slide show and a BLOG discussion on the Diabetes Best Practices Website provide up-to-date information and guidelines for clinicians.
Somerville, NJ (PRWEB) May 6, 2009
"Diabetes Discharge planning is a national priority," says Dr. Curtiss Cook, in a newly published presentation on the Diabetes Best Practices Website (http://www. diabetesbestpractices. com).
Dr. Cook's observations and recommendations for clinicians are contained in a presentation on the website, along with a BLOG discussion area focused on the challenges of providing proper care to patients with diabetes once they leave a hospital.
"Early identification of diabetes and hyperglycemia is essential for beginning patient self-management education," says Dr. Cook. His observations and recommendations, summarized in the slide presentation, are drawn from a paper that will be published in an upcoming issue of Endocrine Practice by Dr. Cook and his colleagues.
Dr. Cook's presentation summarizes a number of other steps can be used by hospitals to facilitate effective diabetes discharge. They include an implementation of a clinical pathway, and clear instructions about medications, follow-up appointments made at the time of discharge, and communication with the outpatient healthcare provider. A downloadable version of Dr. Cook's postdischarge planning instructions is also available on the site.
Dr. Cook's review reminds us that "patients who receive structured and integrated outpatient diabetes care have better outcomes", thus making an effective transition from hospital to ambulatory care all the more important. According to Dr. Cook and his colleagues, there may be several factors that can prevent diabetes patients from following-up after a hospitalization. Assessment of these barriers and devising a plan to help the patient overcome them are integral to diabetes discharge planning.
The discharge planning strategies of Dr. Cook and his colleagues are based on their experience at an adult, non-obstetric, academic hospital with over 200 beds, located in the Southwest and staffed by resident physicians and midlevel practitioners including nurse practitioners and physician assistants.
"We describe some of the approaches used at our hospital to satisfy each component of our definition of an effective diabetes discharge," said Dr. Cook. "We hope that the publication of this review on the Diabetes Best Practices Website will stir discussion in this area and also encourage other clinicians to present their 'best practices' for Diabetes Discharge Planning and strategies," concluded Dr. Cook.
The Diabetes Best Practices website (http://www. diabetesbestpractices. com) is a collaborative project of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) and Embryon and is supported by an educational grant from sanofi-aventis U. S.
The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey is the nation's largest health sciences university. UMDNJ-Center for Continuing and Outreach Education (UMDNJ-CCOE) is the university's accrediting unit sponsoring national and international continuing medical education for a wide range of healthcare professionals.
Embryon is a medical communications provider to the pharmaceutical industry.
###
