Public Health Response to Diabetes in Delaware through Partnership, Referral, and the Diabetes Self-Management Program

Diabetes is a major health concern in Delaware, affecting approximately 85,000 adult Delawareans. Diabetes can lead to amputation, blindness, kidney failure, impaired hearing, heart and dental disease, and other complications. The Division of Public Health (DPH) launched a project in collaboration with Quality Insights (QI) to assist physician practices improve their National Quality Forum (NQF) Clinical Quality Measure NQF 0059. QI provides resources and tools to support physicians and their care teams in this quality improvement effort. One initiative invites physician office sites to participate in a free service that mails referral letters to their patient population with diabetes. The referral letter encourages patients to enroll in the state’s free Diabetes Self-Management Program (DSMP) which supports lifestyle modification control efforts.