CONTINUOUS MONITORING OF HEALTH-STATUS OUTCOMES - EXPERIENCE WITH A DIABETES EDUCATION-PROGRAM

A diabetes education program was evaluated using an outcomes managemen t system. Data concerning health status outcomes, including glycemic c ontrol (HbA1(c)), diabetes-related quality of life, and general health -related quality of life, were collected over a 15-month period. This information was collected for each clinic patient at entry into the pr ogram and again at a 6-month follow-up session. Patients improved sign ificantly in all categories of outcomes. Newly diagnosed patients show ed significantly greater reduction in HbA(1c) than did patients with a history of diabetes. Health-related quality of life, as measured by s ymptoms and the SF-36, improved independent of glycemic control. Despi te the difficulties of interpreting results from this one-group, prete st-posttest design, the study demonstrated the value of a multidimensi onal approach to outcome assessment and program evaluation.