Hill Health Center

Diabetes Prevention Team Meeting

Minutes Monday 12/09/02

8:30-9:30am

 

Present: Ed Angeli, Gary Spinner, Dr. Karin Michels, Jennifer Brackett, Linda Fishkin, Brenda Galvin and Melinda Koppel

 

 

Screening Phase: Brenda will update the screening tool to include information such as Providers name and criteria for sending patients for OGTT.  Any patient meeting the first 2 criteria (first degree relative w/ DM or Hx GDM) will automatically be sent for OGTT.  Patients with 2 or more of the remaining criteria will also be sent for the test.  A one day test of the screening tool has already been conducted with patients of Gary Spinner and Dr. Michels.  Linda will be training the CHW’s this week on how to properly use the Screening tool and next week the CHW’s will begin utilizing the form with Walk-in Patients.  Gary and Dr. Michels will also continue to use the tool with their scheduled patients and Jennifer will begin screening all of her patients at the West Haven Health Center.

 

Lab Queries & CPT Coding: Ed has generated a list of patient’s w/ Hx GDM dating back 5 years.  It was discussed during the meeting that for future queries it would be beneficial to filter out those patients whose last service date was greater than 1year ago.   Ed and Dr. Michels will also meet with Linda Dixon and Marsha Reyes to ensure that the correct CPT code is being used to identify pre-diabetics.  In addition because HHC patients are usually sent for a 3hr OGTT, a separate code needs to be used to identify possible pilot program participants being sent for a 2hr OGTT. 

 

Provider Education: Providers will be educated on the use of the screening tool and appropriate coding in January (date has not yet been set for the inservice).  Jennifer will be sending out a memo to providers explaining about the Pilot Program, diagnosis criteria and Standards of Care.

 

Organizing Prevention Program Data: Ed and Dr. Michels will be working on developing a SpreadSheet to keep track of how many patients where screened, who was sent (and completed) the OGTT and what the results of the test showed (normal, pre-diabetic or diabetic).  This tracking method will help determine how useful the screening tool is for identifying patients at risk. It is also extremely important that patients who are identified as being diabetic are being placed into the diabetes registry and are receiving follow-up from their providers.  Brenda suggested that we keep a separate folder for patients diagnosed w/ DM.  Linda expressed concern that she has not been receiving lists of patients with abnormal labs on the days the labs were received.  This issue will need to be followed up with Marsha.

 

PECS System: Our goal down the road is that everything (DM, pre-diabetic and asthma patients) be merged into the PECS system. There is some concern that if information other than that related to pre-diabetics is entered into the system in the beginning stages, this would in effect slow down the process.  Training on the PECS system will be held at the Diabetes Collaborative Conference in January.   Ed hopes to eventually set up a link that would automatically transfer any patient to the diabetes registry, who after completing the OGTT test, was found to be diabetic.  Until a link is available, Linda and Brenda will keep a separate file of all patients who are identified through the pilot as being diabetic.

 

 

Intervention Stage: Members of the nutrition department are currently in the process of reviewing materials and developing lifestyle intervention protocols.  The intervention phase of the program will be implemented after the second learning session if February, however, Gary stated that patients who are identified as being eligible for the pilot program will need to be made aware that in the coming weeks they will be eligible for intervention services.  Linda suggested that a Referral Form for the Pilot Program be developed.

 

Additional Topics of Discussion:

Protocol will need to be set in place to ensure that all patients who are currently gestational diabetics are being sent for an OGTT at 6 weeks post partum.  Ed will be in contact with Sue Ortoleva from the OBGYN department to see if she would be interested in joining the prevention team.

 

Brenda will assist Linda with Chart reviews of people identified as having abnormal blood sugars to determine whether or not these patients have already been diagnosed w/ DM

 

Linda discussed the need for providers to buy into the idea of using lifestyle change interventions as opposed to initially using medication w/ pre-DM patients

 

Jennifer suggested that the PDSA Cycles that were compiled by those who attended the first learning session be reviewed by the team, in order to ensure that these ideas are being implemented along with the example ideas provided by the DPP.

 

Melinda suggested that a Learning Session for those members who did not go to Washington be conducted to ensure that all members are up to date with issues discussed in D.C.

 

Next meeting: Monday 12/16/02