Diabetic Registry Set to Improve Treatment

With 50,000 adult diabetic patients ready to be tracked in its e-registry, HHC is primed to become a model for using technology to better manage this chronic disease and help patients reduce the risk of blindness, kidney failure, amputations and heart trouble.

The diabetic e-registry was expanded to all 11 public hospitals this summer after a successful pilot run in Queens and Elmhurst Hospitals helped nearly half of all diabetics under care achieve healthy hemoglobin A1c or sugar levels. Before being managed through the e-registry, only one quarter of patients had healthy levels below 7. A significant number of patients in the pilot program also improved their blood pressure and lipid levels.

“It used to be difficult to measure how we were doing,” said Dr. Rand David, Director of Ambulatory Care at Elmhurst. “With the e-registry, we can quickly assess how our patients are doing with glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol control and even whether they had necessary eye tests and foot exams. It allows us to be more efficient managers of their care, keep a closer watch on their progress and determine the next steps for treatment.”

The e-registry provides a real-time snapshot of the patient’s health status and allows the chronic disease management teams of doctors, nurses, social workers, medical assistants and nutritionists to closely monitor and direct patient care. The new tool includes features that help doctors follow best practices, quickly review if medications are having an impact and easily track if the patient has received needed eye exams to prevent blindness, monofilament tests to measure sensation on the feet and urine tests to detect kidney problems.

“We intend to expand the use of this e-registry tool to manage other chronic conditions, including asthma, depression and congestive health failure,” said Louis J. Capponi, MD, HHC’s Chief Medical Informatics Officer.