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Predict high-risk diabetes patients for early intervention, reducing complications and costs.
Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood glucose. Hyperglycaemia, also called raised blood glucose or raised blood sugar, is a common effect of uncontrolled diabetes and over time leads to serious damage to many of the body's systems, especially the nerves and blood vessels.
Diabetes affects approximately 34 million adults—more than 10% of Americans—and is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States (1). Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to biochemical imbalances that cause acute life-threatening events and hospitalization (2). Potential complications include significantly increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, lower-limb amputations, and adult blindness. Diabetes is also steadily becoming more common; in the last 20 years, the number of adults diagnosed with diabetes has more than doubled (1). But despite its increasing prevalence, more than one in five people with diabetes are estimated to be undiagnosed and unaware of their condition (1).Diabetes is also responsible for exorbitant expenditures with a total estimated cost of $327 billion (3). On average, people with diagnosed diabetes incur medical expenditures of $16,752 per year, approximately $9,601 of which is attributed to diabetes.
To improve health outcomes and combat costs, providers can leverage predictive analytics to proactively identify patients at high risk for diabetes and patients likely to experience severe complications. This insight can enable cost-effective, proven interventions. Enrollment in comprehensive prevention programs can reduce risk of type 2 diabetes by more than 50%, and interventions based on diabetes self-management education are extremely cost-effective ($5,047/QALY)* compared to routine care (4,5).
Diabetes interventions based on self-management can empower people to dramatically impact their own health (6). Self-monitoring of blood sugar to achieve glycemic control can reduce the risk of eye disease, kidney disease, and nerve disease by 40% (4). Other self-management interventions include adherence to healthy dietary practices and engaging in regular exercise. Additionally, strengthening primary care continuity is critical. Health care services that include regular foot exams can prevent up to 85% of diabetes-related amputations, and regular eye exams can prevent up to 90% of diabetes-related blindness (7,8).
