The National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF), newly merged with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, has announced the of the 2017 Stand Up for Patient Safety Management Awards. NYC Health+Hospitals/Bellevue is being recognized for a program to improve the management of insulin-dependent diabetes in patients at its Adult Primary Care Center.
What’s more, the Delaware-based Christiana Care Health System is being honored for a care coordination and management program called Carelink CareNow that has yielded impressive results in reducing readmissions.
The awards are presented each year in recognition of the successful implementation of outstanding patient safety initiatives by organizational members of the Stand Up for Patient Safety program. Created in 2002 by NPSF, the Stand Up program is now part of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s safety work, following the May 1 merger of the two organizations.
The 2017 awards will be conferred during the 19th Annual NPSF Patient Safety Congress, May 17-19, in Orlando, Fla.
Many patients with insulin-dependent diabetes in the Bellevue Adult Primary Care Center struggled to take time away from work and other responsibilities to visit the clinic to have their insulin dose adjusted. The system, developed by the Bellevue Primary Care Diabetes Team, features an evidence-based text messaging program called Mobile Insulin Titration Intervention (MITI).
Patients in the program receive a text message each morning requesting their morning fasting blood sugar level. Patients text back their results and the values are monitored daily by nurses, who call patients once weekly to advise them on an insulin dose titration using a validated dosing algorithm.
“This project was designed to both align with and inform the American Diabetes Association’s ongoing policies to promote individualized, patient-centered approaches to diabetes management that reduce health disparities,” says Andrew B. Wallach, MD, FACP, Clinical Director, Ambulatory Care, NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue. “We hope to expand the scope of this approach to disease management to other chronic diseases, such as hypertension and asthma.”
“MITI overcomes logistical barriers for patients needing to find their correct basal insulin dose by bringing the care to them on their cell phones. Having properly controlled blood sugar means patients have fewer complications from diabetes, allowing them to lead a healthier life,” says Natalie Levy, MD, Director of NYC Health+Hospitals/Bellevue’s Primary Care Diabetes Program and the MITI Program. “Our whole team is honored that the NPSF saw the value of our work and granted us this award.”
Christiana Care’s care coordination and management program also uses innovation and technology, along with a dedicated care coordination team, to improve safety and outcomes. This program integrates and analyzes clinical and claims data to help in clinical decision making, coordinate office visits when needed, enhance communication during transitions, and provide educational support to providers caring for patients with chronic illness.
