Effects of health-information-based diabetes shared care program participation on preventable hospitalizations in Taiwan

BACKGROUND: Taiwan’s Diabetes Shared Care Program has been implemented since 2012, and the health information system plays a vital role in supporting most services of this program. However, little is known regarding the effectiveness of this information-based program. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of the participation of the Diabetes Shared Care Program on preventable hospitalizations. METHODS: This longitudinal study examined the data of health-care claims from 2011 to 2014 obtained from the diabetes mellitus health database. Patients with diabetes aged ≥18 years were included. Preventable hospitalizations were identified on the basis of prevention quality indicators developed for administrative data by the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. A multilevel logistic regression was performed to examine the effects of the participation of the Diabetes Shared Care Program on preventable hospitalizations after adjustment for other variables. Analyses were conducted in late 2018. RESULTS: A medium level of participation (p = 0.05), age between 40 and 64 years(p < 0.0001), and absence of a catastrophic illness(p < 0.0001) were associated with a lower probability of having a preventable hospitalization. Male sex(p < 0.0001), age ≥ 65 years(p = 0.0203), low income level(p < 0.0001), living in the Southern division(p = 0.0106), and presence of many comorbidities(p < 0.0001) were associated with a higher probability of having a preventable hospitalization after adjustment for characteristics at the individual and county levels. CONCLUSIONS: The health information system records patients’ medical history, monitors quality of care, schedules patient follow-ups, and reminds case managers to provide timely health education. This health-information-based Diabetes Shared Care Program is associated with better quality care of ambulatory, so it should be promoted on a broader scale.