Maternal body mass index (BMI) is independently associated with the control of diabetes mellitus in young patients.

OBJECTIVE: Investigate the cross-sectional association of glycemic control of ethnically diverse youth with diabetes mellitus with family characteristics. DESIGN: Family study of 91 youth (probands) with diabetes mellitus and 142 parents. RESULTS: Children's age and HbA1c averaged 11.9 years and 8.9%, respectively; 69% were minorities. After adjustment, poor glycemic control was associated with minority race/ethnicity, more television viewing, and higher maternal body mass index (BMI). Average HbA1c was 1.2 and 1.9% units higher for children of overweight and obese mothers, respectively (p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: The positive association between maternal body composition and child HbA1c likely represents the unique behavioral influence of mothers.

Three-in-one nerve block with different concentrations of bupivacaine in total knee arthroplasty: randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial.

Pain after total knee arthroplasty may be severe and lead to adverse outcomes. Using 2 concentrations of bupivacaine, we investigated 3-in-1 nerve block's effect on pain control, narcotic use, sedation, and patient satisfaction. One hundred five patients undergoing unilateral total knee arthroplasty were randomized into 3 groups: low-dose or high-dose bupivacaine or placebo. Ninety-nine patients completed the study. Three-in-1 nerve block reduced patient-controlled opioid analgesia usage and improved pain relief in the early postoperative period but had little effect beyond postoperative day 1. There were no significant differences among groups with respect to nausea or sedation. Patients in each group exhibited high overall satisfaction. Low-dose bupivacaine was superior to high-dose bupivacaine for pain relief, narcotic consumption, and patient satisfaction in the early postoperative period.

Development of a safety net medical home scale for clinics.

BACKGROUND: Existing tools to measure patient-centered medical home (PCMH) adoption are not designed for research evaluation in safety-net clinics. OBJECTIVE: Develop a scale to measure PCMH adoption in safety-net clinics. RESEARCH DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SUBJECTS: Sixty-five clinics in five states. MAIN MEASURES: Fifty-two-item Safety Net Medical Home Scale (SNMHS). The total score ranges from 0 (worst) to 100 (best) and is an average of multiple subscales (0-100): Access and Communication, Patient Tracking and Registry, Care Management, Test and Referral Tracking, Quality Improvement, and External Coordination. The scale was tested for internal consistency reliability and tested for convergent validity using The Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (ACIC) and the Patient-Centered Medical Home Assessment (PCMH-A). The scale was applied to centers in the sample. In addition, linear regression models were used to measure the association between clinic characteristics and medical home adoption. RESULTS: The SNMHS had high internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.84). The SNMHS score correlated moderately with the ACIC score (r = 0.64, p < 0.0001) and the PCMH-A (r = 0.56, p < 0.001). The mean SNMHS score was 61 ± SD 13. Among the subscales, External Coordination (66 ± 16) and Access and Communication (65 ± 14) had the highest mean scores, while Quality Improvement (55 ± 17) and Care Management (55 ± 16) had lower mean scores. Clinic characteristics positively associated with total SNMHS score were having more providers (ß 15.8 95% CI 8.1-23.4 >8 provider FTEs compared to <4 FTEs) and participation in financial incentive programs (ß 8.4 95% 1.6-15.3). CONCLUSION: The SNMHS demonstrated reliability and convergent validity for measuring PCMH adoption in safety-net clinics. Some clinics have significant PCMH adoption. However, room for improvement exists in most domains, especially for clinics with fewer providers.

Onset features and subsequent clinical evolution of childhood diabetes over several years.

AIM: To explore whether it is possible to predict a child's eventual diabetes phenotype using characteristics at initial presentation, we reassessed 111 young patients on average 7.8 ± 4.2 (2.2-19.7) [mean ± SD (range)] years after diagnosis. METHODS: Medical records at diagnosis for 111 patients, aged 0-17, were compared with their follow-up characteristics including stimulated C-peptide (CP) and islet autoantibodies (AB). RESULTS: Initially, 18 patients were obese; 9 displayed other type 2 diabetes (T2DM) features (polycystic ovary syndrome, acanthosis, diagnosed T2DM); the remaining 84 had a classic type 1 diabetes (T1DM) presentation. At follow-up, 83 patients (75%) with no measured CP were classified as T1DM; 17 (15%) were CP+ and AB- and thus considered T2DM. Eleven patients with both T1DM and T2DM features were classified as having mixed diabetes phenotype (MDM). One-fifth (22 subjects) changed presumed phenotype at follow-up. In multivariable models, T1DM patients were younger at diagnosis, had higher initial glucose values, were more likely to have experienced ketoacidosis, and less likely to be obese or of African American ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Ten percent of subjects had MDM and 15% had T2DM at ∼8 years' duration. Although no onset feature was completely reliable, ketoacidosis and hyperglycemia were more likely to predict T1DM; obesity and African American ethnicity made T2DM more likely. At diagnosis, features of T2DM in addition to obesity were strongly predictive of eventual T2DM phenotype. Given the significant percentage who changed or had mixed phenotype, careful tracking of all young people with diabetes is essential to correctly determine eventual disease type.

HLA-DQ haplotypes differ by ethnicity in patients with childhood-onset diabetes.

AIM: To understand the etiology of childhood-onset diabetes, we examined genetic risk markers, autoantibodies, and ß-cell function in a mixed race group of young patients. METHODS: One hundred and forty-five patients aged 0-17 at diagnosis (54% African American, 22% Caucasian, 16% Latino, 8% mixed-other) were studied at mean duration 6.9 ± 5.7 (range 0.1-28.5) yr, including human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DQA1-DQB1 genotyping, stimulated C peptide (CP), glutamic acid decarboxylase, and insulinoma-associated antigen 2 antibodies (ABs). Based on no residual ß-cell function (CP-) and islet autoantibodies (AB+), 111 patients were classified with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), 22 were CP+ and AB- and thus considered to have type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and 12 patients had features of both T1DM and T2DM or mixed phenotype. RESULTS: Based on the presence of two high-risk HLA-DQA1/B1 haplotypes, 39% of African Americans, 81% of Caucasians, 70% of Latinos, and 67% of mixed-others were at high genetic risk. In patients with T1DM, 41% of African Americans, 80% of Caucasians, 73% of Latinos, and 63% of mixed-others were genetically susceptible. Thirty-one percent of African Americans, including 29% of those with T1DM, could not be characterized because their haplotypes had unknown T1DM associations. These unusual haplotypes comprised 11% in T1DM, 14% in T2DM, and 8% in patients with mixed phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: Fifty-nine percent of childhood-onset patients with T1DM were identified with high genetic risk based on known HLA-DQA1/B1 associations. Many non-Caucasian patients carry HLA-DQ alleles whose association with T1DM is undetermined. Genetic approaches can provide insights into the etiology and appropriate treatment of childhood-onset diabetes but only if sufficient data are available in diverse ethnic groups.

Adapting the everyday discrimination scale to medical settings: reliability and validity testing in a sample of African American patients.

OBJECTIVE: Despite evidence that discrimination within the health care system may play an important role in perpetuating health disparities, instruments designed to measure discrimination within the health care setting have not been adequately tested or validated. Consequently, we sought to test the psychometric properties of a modified version of the Everyday Discrimination scale, adapted for medical settings. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Academic medical center in Chicago. PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-four African American patients. OUTCOME MEASURES: We measured factor analysis, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent validity and discriminant validity. RESULTS: Seventy-four participants completed the baseline interviews and 66 participants (89%) completed the follow-up interviews. Eighty percent were women. The Discrimination in Medical Settings (DMS) Scale had a single factor solution (eigenvalue of 4.36), a Cronbach's alpha of 0.89 and test-retest reliability of .58 (P<.0001). The DMS was significantly correlated with an overall measure of societal discrimination (EOD) (r=.51, P<.001) as well as two of its three subscales (unfair: r=-.04, P=.76; discrimination: r=.45, P<0.001; worry: r=-.36, P=.002). The DMS was associated with the overall African American Trust in Health Care Scale (r=.27, P=.02) as well as two key subscales (racism: r=.31, P<.001; disrespect: r=.44, P<.001). The DMS scale was inversely associated with the Social Desirability Scale (r=.18, P=.13). The DMS scale was not correlated with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (r=.03, P=.80). CONCLUSIONS: The Discrimination in Medical Settings Scale has excellent internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent validity and discriminant validity among our sample of African American patients. Further testing is warranted among other racial/ethnic groups.

Implications of the new definition of diabetes for health disparities.

In July 2009, an international committee announced a new diagnostic criterion for diabetes based on hemoglobin Alc (HbA1c) values. Our objective was to estimate how the new diabetes diagnostic criterion will affect the prevalence of diabetes among different race, age, and gender subpopulations, compared to the previously used fasting plasma glucose (FPG) criterion. We analyzed nationally representative data from The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), aggregated from 1999 to 2006. We estimated the prevalence of known diabetes (prevalence static across either diagnostic criterion), unknown, and no diabetes (prevalence variable by criterion). We tested statistical significance of prevalence differences for unknown diabetes between the prior diagnostic criterion--FPG of at least 126 mg/dL--and the new diagnostic criterion--HbA1c of at least 6.5%--using conditional logistic regression. We further tested the association of these differences with demographic factors. The new HbA1c diagnostic criterion differentially affects different racial/ethnic groups. For non-Hispanic whites, the prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes was more than halved from 2.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.2-3.1) with FPG diagnosis to 1.3% (95% CI, 1.0-1.7), P<.001 with HbAic diagnosis. For Hispanics and non-Hispanic blacks, the differences in prevalence by the 2 criteria were smaller and nonsignificant. Racial differences by diagnostic criteria were most pronounced among people aged over 55 years. Overall, the new definition of diabetes differentially affects ethnic groups, especially for older people. If the new criterion is widely adopted, over time, we may see an apparent widening of racial/ethnic disparities in diabetes prevalence.

Relationship between anesthetic depth and venous oxygen saturation during cardiopulmonary bypass.

BACKGROUND: During cardiopulmonary bypass, mixed venous oxygen saturation (Svo2) is frequently measured to assess circulatory adequacy. Fluctuations in Svo2 not related to patient movement or inadequate oxygen delivery have been attributed clinically to increased cerebral oxygen consumption due to "light" anesthesia. To evaluate the relationship between anesthetic depth and Svo2, we prospectively measured bispectral index (BIS) and Svo2 values in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. METHODS: Adults scheduled for cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass were recruited for this prospective observational study. During bypass, BIS and Svo2 values were recorded every 5 min. To control for confounding effects of changes in other variables known to affect Svo2, temperature, hematocrit, bypass pump flow, muscle relaxant use, and intravenous and inhaled anesthetic doses were also recorded. Only periods with limited variation in other variables affecting Svo2 were analyzed. The relationship between BIS and Svo2 was evaluated using mixed linear regression. RESULTS: One thousand thirty-four data points were obtained in 41 patients. No overall association between BIS and Svo2 was observed, either in unadjusted analysis or adjusted for covariates. In data points with temperatures less than the median (T < 34.1 degrees C), a significant association between BIS and Svo2 was observed both in unadjusted (beta = -0.32, P = 0.01) and adjusted (beta = -0.27, P = 0.04) analyses. CONCLUSIONS: In patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass, we found no overall association between BIS and Svo2. A weak but statistically significant association between BIS and Svo2 was observed in patients with temperatures less than 34.1 degrees C. These data suggest that low Svo2 values on bypass are unlikely to be due to light or inadequate anesthesia. The relationship among temperature, BIS and Svo2 deserves further study.

Use of enabling services by Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander patients at 4 community health centers.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to examine the utilization and impact of enabling services, such as interpretation and eligibility assistance, among underserved Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander (AANHOPI) patients served at 4 community health centers. METHODS: For this project, we developed a uniform model for collecting data on enabling services and implemented it across 4 health centers that served primarily AANHOPI patients. We also examined differences in patient characteristics between users and nonusers of enabling services. RESULTS: Health center patients used many enabling services, with eligibility assistance being the most used service. In addition, compared with nonusers, users of enabling services were more likely to be older, female, AANHOPI, and uninsured (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: For underserved AANHOPI patients at community health centers, enabling services are critical for access to appropriate care. We were the first to examine uniform data on enabling services across multiple health centers serving underserved AANHOPI patients. More data on enabling services and evaluation are needed to develop interventions to improve the quality of care for underserved AANHOPI patients.

Insurance status and quality of diabetes care in community health centers.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to compare quality of diabetes care by insurance type in federally funded community health centers. Method. We categorized 2018 diabetes patients, randomly selected from 27 community health centers in 17 states in 2002, into 6 mutually exclusive insurance groups. We used multivariate logistic regression analyses to compare quality of diabetes care according to 6 National Committee for Quality Assurance Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set diabetes processes of care and outcome measures. RESULTS: Thirty-three percent of patients had no health insurance, 24% had Medicare only, 15% had Medicaid only, 7% had both Medicare and Medicaid, 14% had private insurance, and 7% had another insurance type. Those without insurance were the least likely to meet the quality-of-care measures; those with Medicaid had a quality of care similar to those with no insurance. CONCLUSIONS: Research is needed to identify the major mediators of differences in quality of care by insurance status among safety-net providers such as community health centers. Such research is needed for policy interventions at Medicaid benefit design and as an incentive to improve quality of care.

The prevalence of perioperative visual loss in the United States: a 10-year study from 1996 to 2005 of spinal, orthopedic, cardiac, and general surgery.

BACKGROUND: Perioperative visual loss (POVL) accompanying nonocular surgery is a rare and potentially devastating complication but its frequency in commonly performed inpatient surgery is not well defined. We used the Nationwide Inpatient Sample to estimate the rate of POVL in the United States among the eight most common nonocular surgeries. METHODS: More than 5.6 million patients in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample who underwent principal procedures of knee arthroplasty, cholecystectomy, hip/femur surgical treatment, spinal fusion, appendectomy, colorectal resection, laminectomy without fusion, coronary artery bypass grafting, and cardiac valve procedures from 1996 to 2005 were included. Rates of POVL, defined as any discharge with an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification code of ischemic optic neuropathy (ION), cortical blindness (CB), or retinal vascular occlusion (RVO), were estimated. Potential risk factors were assessed by univariate and multivariable analyses. RESULTS: Cardiac and spinal fusion surgery had the highest rates of POVL. The national estimate in cardiac surgery was 8.64/10,000 and 3.09/10,000 in spinal fusion. By contrast, POVL after appendectomy was 0.12/10,000. Those undergoing cardiac surgery, spinal fusion, and orthopedic surgery had a significantly increased risk of developing ION, RVO, or CB. Patients younger than 18 yr had the highest risk for POVL, because of higher risk for CB, whereas those older than 50 yr were at greater risk of developing ION and RVO. Other significant positive predictors for some diagnoses of POVL were male gender, Charlson comorbidity index, anemia, and blood transfusion. There was no increased risk associated with hospital surgical volume. During the 10 yr from 1996 to 2005, there was an overall decrease in POVL in the procedures we studied. CONCLUSIONS: The results confirm the clinical suspicion that the risk of POVL is higher in cardiac and spine fusion surgery and show for the first time a higher risk of this complication in patients undergoing lower extremity joint replacement surgery. The prevalence of POVL in the eight most commonly performed surgical operations in the United States has decreased between 1996 and 2005. Increased odds of POVL with male gender and comorbidity index indicate that some risk factors for POVL may not presently be modifiable. The conclusions of this study are limited by factors affecting data accuracy, such as lack of data on the intraoperative course and inability to confirm the diagnostic coding of any of the discharges in the database.

Prevalence of high-risk human papillomavirus among older women.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence, genotypes, and individual-level correlates of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) among women aged 57-85. METHODS: Community-residing women (N=1,550), aged 57-85, were drawn from a nationally representative probability sample. In-home interviews and biomeasures, including a self-collected vaginal specimen, were obtained between 2005 and 2006. Specimens were analyzed for high-risk HPV DNA using Hybrid Capture 2; of 1,028 specimens provided, 1,010 were adequate for analysis. All samples testing positive were analyzed for HPV DNA by L1 consensus polymerase chain reaction followed by type-specific hybridization. RESULTS: The overall population-based weighted estimate of high-risk HPV prevalence by Hybrid Capture 2 (Digene Corp.) was 6.0% (95% confidence interval 4.5- 7.9). Current marital and smoking status, frequency of sexual activity, history of cancer, and hysterectomy were associated with high-risk HPV positivity. Among high-risk HPV-positive women, 63% had multiple type infections. Human papillomavirus-16 or -18 was present in 17.4% of all high-risk HPV-positive women. The most common high-risk genotypes among high-risk HPV-positive women were HPV-61 (19.1%), -31 (13.1%), -52 (12.9%), -58 (12.5%), -83 (12.3%), -66 (12.0%), -51 (11.7%), -45 (11.2%), -56 (10.3%), -53 (10.2%), -16 (9.7%), and -62 (9.2%). Being married and having an intact uterus were independently associated with lower prevalence of high-risk HPV. Among unmarried women, current sexual activity and smoking were independently and positively associated with high-risk HPV infection. CONCLUSION: In this nationally representative population, nearly 1 in 16 women aged 57-85 was found to have high-risk HPV, and prevalence was stable across older age groups. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.

Choice of sevoflurane and its subjective and psychomotor effects in light and moderate drinkers.

BACKGROUND: Sevoflurane, an inhalant of the volatile anesthetic class, has neurobiological and behavioral effects in common with abused inhalants and ethanol. We sought to determine if choice for subanesthetic doses of sevoflurane, and its subjective and psychomotor effects, would differ as a function of alcohol-drinking status in healthy volunteers. METHODS: The effects of four concentrations of sevoflurane (0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8% sevoflurane in oxygen) were studied in 16 light drinkers and 16 moderate drinkers. During each of four sessions, subjects sampled a concentration of sevoflurane and 100% O(2) (placebo) for 10 min each. Subjective and psychomotor testing commenced 5 min into each sampling trial. Later, within the session, subjects chose nine times, once every 5 min, among sevoflurane (e.g., "Agent A"), placebo (e.g., "Agent B," 100% O(2)), or neither (and were administered 100% O(2), identified as "drug-free air"). RESULTS: Choice for sevoflurane at the 0.4% concentration was significantly higher in the moderate drinkers than in the light drinkers. A number of subjective effects reported during inhalation of sevoflurane were markedly lower in the moderate-drinking group than in the light-drinking group. However, psychomotor impairment induced by sevoflurane was similar in magnitude in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol-drinking status affected sevoflurane choice. The results are consistent with several studies comparing light and heavier drinkers, using other drugs. Although both drinking groups were similarly impaired by sevoflurane, the moderate drinkers reported less of a subjective response than light drinkers, suggestive of cross-tolerance.

The perceived financial impact of quality improvement efforts in community health centers.

We administered surveys to 100 chief executive officers (CEOs) of community health centers to determine their perceptions of the financial impact of the Health Disparities Collaboratives, a national quality improvement initiative. One third of the CEOs believed that the HDC had a negative financial impact on their health center, and this perception was significantly correlated with centers having a higher proportion of uninsured patients. Performance-based payment incentives may improve care but may also add new financial burdens to facilities that treat the uninsured population. As such, a provider's payer mix may need to be considered in the design of QI programs if they are to be sustainable.

Sustaining quality improvement in community health centers: perceptions of leaders and staff.

The Health Disparities Collaboratives are the largest national quality improvement (QI) initiatives in community health centers. This article identifies the incentives and assistance personnel believe are necessary to sustain QI. In 2004, 1006 survey respondents (response rate 67%) at 165 centers cited lack of resources, time, and staff burnout as common barriers. Release time was the most desired personal incentive. The highest funding priorities were direct patient care services (44% ranked no. 1), data entry (34%), and staff time for QI (26%). Participants also needed help with patient self-management (73%), information systems (77%), and getting providers to follow guidelines (64%).

Early and later onset type 2 diabetes in uninsured patients: clinical and behavioral differences.

OBJECTIVE: The national burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is increasing rapidly. This study investigated a) clinical differences between early onset and later onset T2DM; and b) if specific risk factors were associated with age at diagnosis or clinical outcomes among uninsured adults in a large urban setting. METHODS: We compared 417 adults diagnosed under age 30 with 968 adults diagnosed ages 50-58 on clinical and social measures using standard parametric tests. RESULTS: Early onset patients had higher hemoglobin A1c, were more likely to smoke and to be depressed, and had more emergency department visits. Insulin monotherapy was more common in early onset patients (32% vs. 11%). Complications were already present in 11% of early onset patients and 29% of later onset patients within one year of diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Early onset patients had more acute beta-cell failure and coped less well with their diabetes. It is crucial to expand specialized diabetes resources for young, medically indigent patients.

Hypertension and hyperlipidemia management in patients treated at community health centers.

OBJECTIVE: Community health centers (HCs) provide care for millions of medically underserved Americans with disproportionate burdens of hypertension and hyperlipidemia. For both conditions, treatment guidelines recently became more stringent and quality improvement (QI) efforts have intensified. We assessed hypertension and hyperlipidemia management in HCs during this time of guideline revision and increased QI efforts. DESIGN: Cross-sectional chart review. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Eleven Midwestern HCs for 2000 and 9 for 2002 provided audit data from 2,976 randomly chosen patients with hypertension and/or hyperlipidemia. MEASUREMENT: Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC VI/VII) and National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel (NCEP-ATP III) guidelines were used to assess management of these conditions. RESULTS: Hypertension (2000, N=808; 2002, N=692) and hyperlipidemia (2000, N=774; 2002, N=702) outcomes improved for specific clinical subgroups. Hypertensive patients with 1 or more cardiovascular risk factors demonstrated significant improvement (34% vs. 45% controlled at <140/90 mm Hg, p=0.02). Hypertension control for persons with diabetes, renal failure and heart failure increased (16% vs. 28% controlled at <130/85 mm Hg, p=0.006). LDL control increased significantly for patients with 2 or more risk factors (39% vs. 58% controlled at <130 mg/dl, p=0.008). Other clinical subgroups showed trends toward better control, although there was insufficient power to detect significant differences for these groups. CONCLUSION: Hypertension and hyperlipidemia outcomes improved for some risk groups; however, ongoing QI is necessary.

The cost-effectiveness of improving diabetes care in U.S. federally qualified community health centers.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness of improving diabetes care with the Health Disparities Collaborative (HDC), a national collaborative quality improvement (QI) program conducted in community health centers (HCs). DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING: Data regarding the impact of the Diabetes HDC program came from a serial cross-sectional follow-up study (1998, 2000, 2002) of the program in 17 Midwestern HCs. Data inputs for the simulation model of diabetes came from the latest clinical trials and epidemiological studies. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a societal cost-effectiveness analysis, incorporating data from QI program evaluation into a Monte Carlo simulation model of diabetes. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: Data on diabetes care processes and risk factor levels were extracted from medical charts of randomly selected patients. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: From 1998 to 2002, multiple processes of care (e.g., glycosylated hemoglobin testing [HbA1C] [71-->92 percent] and ACE inhibitor prescribing [33-->55 percent]) and risk factor levels (e.g., 1998 mean HbA1C 8.53 percent, mean difference 0.45 percent [95 percent confidence intervals -0.72, -0.17]) improved significantly. With these improvements, the HDC was estimated to reduce the lifetime incidence of blindness (17-->15 percent), end-stage renal disease (18-->15 percent), and coronary artery disease (28-->24 percent). The average improvement in quality-adjusted life year (QALY) was 0.35 and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $33,386/QALY. CONCLUSIONS: During the first 4 years of the HDC, multiple improvements in diabetes care were observed. If these improvements are maintained or enhanced over the lifetime of patients, the HDC program will be cost-effective for society based on traditionally accepted thresholds.

Provider perceptions of limited health literacy in community health centers.

OBJECTIVE: To examine techniques used by community health center (HC) providers to care for patients with limited health literacy (LHL). METHODS: Survey mailed to 803 HC providers in 10 Midwestern states. Response rate was 47.5%. Associations between variables were examined using generalized estimating equations (GEE) models to account for clustering of respondents within HCs. RESULTS: The average provider estimates of LHL prevalence among English- and Spanish-speaking patients were 41+/-24% (mean+/-S.D.) and 48+/-30%, respectively. Those with training in health literacy were more likely to have patients repeat instructions back to check understanding (OR=2.05 and p=0.04) and were more likely to give out health education materials designed for patients with LHL (OR=2.80 and p=0.0002). Providers differed by type in encouraging patients to bring friends or family members to appointments (p=0.02). CONCLUSION: Providers estimate LHL to be highly prevalent in their HCs, and use various techniques to assist patients. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Training in health literacy is associated with increased usage of evidence-based techniques to assist patients with LHL. Providers at all levels would likely benefit from LHL training. Most providers believe providing health education materials designed specifically for patients with LHL would be very helpful.

Incidence of childhood type I and non-type 1 diabetes mellitus in a diverse population: the Chicago Childhood Diabetes Registry, 1994 to 2003.

BACKGROUND: Reports of increasing risk for type 1 (T1) and type 2 diabetes mellitus in youth are emerging, but information on socioeconomically diverse populations is limited. METHOD: The Chicago Childhood Diabetes Registry is a city-wide study of patients 0-17 years old at onset. Incidence data came from medical records and interviews; census data provided denominators; analyses used Poisson regression. Non-type 1 (nT1) patients had a type 2-like clinical course or related indicators. RESULTS: There were 1,366 incident cases: 719 in non-Hispanic Black (NHB), 379 in Hispanic, 229 in non-Hispanic White (NHW), and 39 in children of other ethnicities. Average annual incidence was 16.0 (95% CI: 14.6, 17.6)/10(5) for boys, 20.1 (18.3, 22.1)/10(5) for girls, and 18.1 (16.9, 19.3)/10(5) overall. Risk was 21.6 (19.6, 23.8)/10(5) for NHB, 14.6 (13.0, 16.4)/10(5) for Hispanic, and 18.1 (15.9, 20.6)/10(5) for NHW. Children aged 10-14 years experienced the highest incidence, irrespective of ethnicity. T1 was predominant in all ethnic groups, except NHB, where the rates of T1 and nT1 were similar. Over ten years there was a marked increase in all childhood diabetes in Chicago, averaging 2.73% (95% CI: 0.49, 5.02) per annum, adjusted for age. This increase was confined to nT1, with an average annual percent change of +6.23% (2.28, 10.34), while T1 incidence remained stable. CONCLUSIONS: Incidence of childhood diabetes increased between 1994-2003, driven primarily by nT1, suggesting a role for behavioral and/or environmental determinants of insulin resistance. These estimates are likely to be conservative, if nT1 cases were more apt to be missed.