A Decade of Diabetes Hospitalizations: Meaningful Information for Community-Based Health Services Administrators for Identifying and Assessing Risk

Abstract

The American Diabetes Association has established that the largest contributor of expenditures related to the cost of care for diabetes is inpatient hospital care. Research has shown that when multiple hospitalizations have been examined, patients diagnosed with diabetes have higher same year readmission rates. Medicare-enrolled patients with coronary artery disease and diabetes who participated in a diabetes management intervention that included self-care behavior instructions and nurse management had fewer emergency room visits and hospitalizations for diabetes related care. In the US, an aging population and expected changes in the ethnic composition prompts an alert to actively address the need for prevention, early detection, reduction of associated complications experienced, and exploration of a cure of the chronic condition of diabetes. This study's purpose was twofold: to examine the variability in hospitalization rates of diabetes by geographical location and age groups from 2000-2011 to examine any statistically significant relationships. The study further proposes the exploration of low-cost technology mechanisms to reduce diabetes related hospitalizations through the use of mHealth. Practical interventions using mHealth technologies are feasible solutions to addressing virtual prevention efforts and improving the outcomes of care among patients diagnosed with diabetes.