Diabetes disease management results in Hispanic Medicaid patients.

Objectives: To investigate outcomes of a telephonic nursing disease management program for Medicaid patients with diabetes residing in Puerto Rico.

Study Design: A 12-month, matched-cohort study.

Study Population: Four hundred and ninety (490) intervention group members matched to 490 controls.

Intervention: Disease management diabetes program. For those in the intervention group, the disease management program customized a self-management intervention plan.

Main Outcome Measures: Medical service utilization, including hospitalizations, emergency department visits, physician evaluation and management visits, selected clinical indicators, and financial impact.

Results: The intervention group showed significant effects compared with the control group, including a 48% reduction in inpatient bed days, and a 23% increase in ACE inhibitor use, resulting in a return on investment estimate of 3.8:1.

Conclusions: The study demonstrates that a nursing disease management program for diabetes can significantly improve hospitalizations, drug compliance, and vaccinations in a Hispanic Medicaid population.