McKesson Health Solutions Diabetes DM Program Reduces Inpatient Stays; Improves Prescription Medication Adherence: Journal

McKesson’s Gregory D. Berg, Ph.D., senior research manager, and Sandeep Wadhwa, M.D., MBA, vice president, Care Management Services, found that program made several statistically significant changes across a number of measures. The researchers utilized a matched-cohort methodology, which demonstrated how McKesson’s diabetes disease management program helped 610 intervention group members improve their health and wellness. All participants were age 65 or older.

“This research demonstrates that McKesson’s diabetes management program improves the health and wellness of participants, and increases the number of several key medical tests that are very important to the effective management of diabetes,” Dr. Wadhwa said.

The research found statistically significant findings – baseline compared to 24 months – between the intervention and matched groups in the following areas.

Provider-related visits:

• 18 percent decrease in inpatient admissions
• 22 percent decrease in inpatient bed days
• 12 percent decrease in physician evaluation/management visits
• 17 percent decrease in outpatient procedures
• 69 percent decrease in skilled nursing facility days

Clinical outcomes:

• 24 percent increase in ACE inhibitor use
• 36 percent increase in flu shots
• 12 percent increase in lipid panels
• 26 percent increase in maculopathy tests
• 13 percent increase in HA1C tests

The research utilized a 24-month, matched-cohort study that employed propensity score matching. Matching on a propensity score is a way of matching on many variables indirectly, instead of matching directly on many variables. The variables include demographics, comorbidities, medical services utilization, medications, diagnostic tests, and immunization history. Comorbidities were matched according to their presence, not according to severity.

“By using a matched-cohort study design we can limit the affect of regression to the mean – in this case when a person’s health naturally improves over time – on the study outcomes,” Dr. Berg said.

The Disease Management article is titled, “Health Services Outcomes for a Diabetes Disease Management Program for the Elderly.”

About McKesson Corporation

McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 18th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to helping its customers deliver high-quality healthcare by reducing costs, streamlining processes and improving the quality and safety of patient care. Over the course of its 174-year history, San Francisco-based McKesson has grown to provide pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management across the spectrum of care; healthcare information technology for hospitals, physicians, homecare and payors; hospital and retail pharmacy automation; and services for manufacturers and payors designed to improve outcomes for patients. For more information, visit us at www.McKesson.com.

CareEnhance is a registered mark of McKesson Health Solutions LLC.