Providing support for chronic conditions in Louisiana: Diabetic Wellness Days

March 12, 2021 1 minute read

The opportunity

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, with over 34 million adults being diagnosed with the chronic health condition nationwide¹. In 2019, 12.6 percent of adults in Louisiana were told by a health professional that they have diabetes – according to America’s Health Rankings this number is almost two percent higher than the national average². To improve the health of the communities they serve and best support individuals diagnosed with diabetes, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Louisiana and DePaul Community Health Centers conceptualized the Diabetic Wellness Days pilot program to strengthen diabetes management using enhanced quality improvement strategies.

The innovation

By participating in Diabetic Wellness Days individuals will receive wraparound care while closing Comprehensive Diabetes Care (CDC) measures. As part of the Diabetic Wellness Days pilot program, the UnitedHealthcare and DePaul Community Health Centers teams will partner to:

Identify overlapping members that are non-compliant with CDC measures

Coordinate outreach to schedule appointments to participate in a Diabetic Wellness Day

Work to ensure providers have access to appropriate coding for the services administered during the events

Address non-compliant CDC quality measures such as HbA1c, eye exams and medical attention for nephropathy

Help patients better understand their HbA1cand Lipid Panel numbers

Provide patients with education related to cardiac risk for diabetics

Complete renal function assessments and comprehensive foot exams as needed

Integrate medical and behavioral health through a depression screening and additional services as needed

Monitor trends in quality performance and emergency room/inpatient utilization

Expected outcome

UnitedHealthcare and DePaul Community Health Centers meet regularly to plan execution of Diabetic Wellness Days in the COVID-19 landscape and expect to launch the pilot in early 2021. The teams want as many individuals as possible to benefit from the comprehensive care they will receive by participating in the program, but the pilot will begin with a group of 30 individuals to ensure the safety of participants.

The partners will work closely throughout 2021 to monitor trends and data - the teams will review the following CDC measures to determine the effectiveness of their efforts:

Blood Pressure Reading
Diabetic Eye Exam Readings
HBA1C Readings
Additional relevant measures as necessary

UnitedHealthcare will asses other populations and community health centers that could benefit from a similar pilot in the future. UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Louisiana is continuously evaluating innovative approaches to care to improve member outcomes and better support provider partners.