SCPA Improves Care for Diabetics

The work of Aligning Forces for Quality was recently featured in Evolution, the business and technology magazine from SKF, for its work to improve diabetes treatment. By applying efficiency techniques from the business sector to primary care practices, the quality of medical care for patients was raised to a higher level. Consultants helped practices identify areas ripe for improvement. The first step was to identify and track patients with diabetes. Said Dr. Adelle Kurtz, a York family medicine specialist, “We didn't even know how many of our patients had diabetes." It turned out that 800 of the practice's 6,000 patients were diabetic. However, the office software wasn't set up to identify them. "Before we had statistics about how we ran our office, we pretty much assumed we were doing fine," Kurtz said. "But we learned there were areas where we could make improvements.” Now, changes like better hospital follow up and routine eye and foot exams have led to better outcomes.The work is already paying off, with a drop in the number of emergency room visits in the past two years.

Read the Evolution article here.