Association Between the Rate of Diabetes and Quality of Patient Care in Home Health Agencies

Abstract

The multitude of comorbidities and disabilities that are prevalent among diabetic patients make their care very challenging for providers. This, in turn, may have a negative effect on measures of patient satisfaction, quality, and outcomes. This study examines the correlation between diabetes ratio as a primary diagnosis in home health agencies (HHAs) with the Home Health Care Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HHCAHPS) survey and the Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) star ratings. Our result indicates that HHAs with a higher proportion of patients with diabetes have lower ratings in health outcomes (bathing, breathing, moving from the bed, moving around, and controlling pain). The association was stronger in the case of diabetic cases with complications.

An Overview of Insulin Therapy in the Management of Diabetes Mellitus

“…Diabetes is a common diagnosis among home healthcare patients. It is second only to heart failure in terms of primary diagnosis, but when both primary and secondary diagnoses are taken into consideration, it is the most common home care diagnosis (Zikos et al, 2019). Home care clinicians must be knowledgeable about insulin therapy for diabetes.…”