University Hospitals’ region-wide commitment to diabetes treatment and prevention was recently recognized by The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. The NCQA , recently recognized 34 UHMP physicians across 17 practices for providing the highest level of diabetes care as part of the voluntary NCQA’s Diabetes Physicians Recognition Program (DPRP). UH now has more nationally recognized physicians than anyone in Northeast Ohio.
NCQA, in partnership with the American Diabetes Association, developed the DPRP to distinguish physicians who use evidence-based measures and provide excellent care to patients with diabetes. The DPRP measures ten10 areas including:
- HbA1c control
- Blood pressure control
- LDL control
- Eye examinations
- Nephropathy assessment
- Smoking status and cessation advice or treatment
Evidence-based measures refers to processes of care or practice guidelines that are based on scientific evidence. By complying with evidence-based processes of care, the complications of diabetes such as stroke, heart attack and visual loss often improve.
Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, but particularly in regions such as Northeast Ohio. Unchecked, diabetes can contribute to other life-threatening issues such as stroke and heart disease.
Congratulations to these physicians for their outstanding patient care in such a critical area!