(Salt Lake City, UT) – The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) recently released Utah Diabetes Practice Recommendations for Adults (UDPR). The provider guidelines were developed as part of a multimillion-dollar health care quality improvement grant awarded to Health Insight of Utah by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Utah received the funding after being selected as a Beacon Community for diabetes prevention and care in 2010.
Diabetes is a serious condition that is increasing dramatically throughout the U.S. And, with new advances in diabetes care, it can be a challenge for providers to stay informed. The DPCP and its partners say the UDPR is a simple but powerful decision-making tool for treating patients.
“Our goal is to help busy providers stay on top of changes in their field,” said Vivian Giles, UDOH Health Program Specialist. “The guidelines are meant to supplement those authored by the American Diabetes Association and other physician organizations,” she added.
The UDOH conducted a survey to assess health care providers’ knowledge about, and use of, the UDPR. “Unfortunately, only about one-fourth of providers in the state knew that the UDOH had developed the guidelines, “said Giles. “However, doctors and nurses who used the document reported that the UDPR plays an important role in guiding the care they provide.”
The UDOH has partnered with organizations throughout the state to inform health care providers about the new recommendations. According to Giles, “The bottom line is, we can improve a person’s quality of life if we can help his or her primary care provider stay up-to-date on best practices.”
For example, this edition of the UDPR includes a much-needed section on managing depression in people with diabetes, and new information on vaccine administration.
Project chair Sarah Woolsey, MD, adds, "The recommendations were a group effort, combining the best Utah specialists with primary care providers to make the document very user-friendly, since they do the most care for patients with diabetes."
The UDPR for Adults and three other sections of UDPR can be viewed and downloaded for free at http://health.utah.gov/diabetes/diabetespracticerecommendations/udpr.htm
Media Contact:
Vivian Giles, MPH
Health Program Specialist
Diabetes Prevention and Control Program
(801) 538-7013
