Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Project

College/School

College of Nursing

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Project Mentor

Jonnae Tillman

Readers

Mark Press

Abstract

Diabetes incidence has increased in the United States since 1994 and remains amongst the top ten chronic diseases in the United States. Roughly thirty-four million Americans have diabetes and nearly $97 billion is spent annually on hospital admissions as a direct result of preventable diabetic health complications. Diabetes is often coined as a “silent illness” since 46.5% of affected individuals are unaware of their diagnosis. Primary care providers are at the forefront of diabetes management. In addition to oral medications and insulin administration, lifestyle changes and diabetic education remain the cornerstone of effective diabetes management. Evidence shows secondary referral services including clinical pharmacists, behavioral health counselors, and nutritionists can provide therapeutic response for patients with both controlled and uncontrolled diabetic. The purpose of this project is to: (a) assess barriers and facilitators resulting in outpatient secondary referrals for uncontrolled diabetes, (b) determine provider baseline knowledge and confidence in utilizing secondary referral services, and (c) determine the effectiveness of a provider educational tool by way of pre- and post- educational presentation secondary referral rates, with the goal of increasing secondary referrals for patients with uncontrolled diabetes. The results of this quality improvement project indicated that a 15-minute pre-recorded educational presentation increased provider knowledge and identified barriers to secondary referrals for patients with uncontrolled diabetes. Implementation of provider education suggests increased utilization of secondary referral services and positive diabetic health outcomes.

Download

Share

COinS