AMA, Henry Ford Macomb Hospital pilot prediabetes patient registry

The effort will test the program as a potential national model for enrolling patients into prevention programs aimed at reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.


Henry Ford Macomb Hospital has joined forces with the American Medical Association to test a patient registry designed to assess the effectiveness of screening, testing and referring prediabetes patients to a an evidence-based prevention program with the goal of reducing their risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

Using tools in its Epic electronic health record system, Henry Ford Macomb developed specific clinical protocols prior to creating the registry, which is currently being evaluated for its potential in becoming a national model for treating patients with prediabetes.

AMA and Henry Ford collaborated with Epic to develop and implement additional features into the registry based on evidence-based, best practices and clinical guidelines used for patient screening and referral to diabetes prevention programs.

“With a staggering number of Americans living with prediabetes and the vast majority unaware they have the condition, we must continue to ensure more patients have access to, and enroll in, proven lifestyle change programs that have been shown to cut in half participants’ risk of progressing to type 2 diabetes,” said David Barbe, MD, president of the AMA, which is providing its clinical and technical expertise. “Through our partnerships with health systems, such as Henry Ford, we will be able to help even more Americans stave off or delay type 2 diabetes to improve health outcomes.”

Also See: AMA, CDC develop prediabetes online toolkit, screening tool

The pilot is based on the documentation and reporting system used by Henry Ford Macomb Faith Community Nursing Network’s diabetes prevention program, which enables providers to view their patients’ progress after enrolling in the program including attendance in classes, weight loss, and blood pressure and activity levels. As part of a 16-week program, patients diagnosed with prediabetes meet with a trained lifestyle coach who helps patients make behavioral changes.

“We’re delighted to be working in partnership with the American Medical Association on this pilot project,” says Barbara Rossmann, president and CEO of Henry Ford Macomb. “Our team has designed a user-friendly, efficient registry that has the potential to be a valuable tool for addressing the rising prevalence of prediabetes in Michigan and across the country.”

After the pilot is completed in June 2018, AMA will determine the efficacy of the registry as a potential national model.

According to Gina Aquino, co-leader of the project and a clinical quality nurse facilitator at Henry Ford Macomb, healthcare organizations would be interested in a registry that integrates in the EHR.

“This registry would allow for data sharing among providers, and help providers identify patients at risk of prediabetes and refer them to a CDC-recognized diabetes prevention program close to home,” says Aquino. “These lifestyle change programs have shown to be more effective than medication for aiding patients to reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes.”

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