Aggressive Management & Monitoring of Diabetes Improves Health & Saves Health Care Resources.

A recent study conducted by Geisinger Health Plan, a Pennsylvania health management organization, clearly demonstrates the benefits of aggressively managing diabetes. The study compared outcomes from 6, 799 patients who were diagnosed with diabetes. Nearly half were enrolled in a disease management program while the remainder were not. The study retrospectively analyzed medical claim costs and compared data between the two groups on their relative use of hemoglobin testing, lipid testing, eye screening and kidney disease screening.

Patients enrolled in the program made greater use of available healthcare resources to manage their diabetes. Yet, despite the increased costs associated with more aggressive monitoring and treating their diabetes, these patients accounted for much lower health care utilization and significantly lower overall health costs than the patients outside of the disease management program.