Episode 15 - Approaches to Managing the Diabetes Epidemic

Peter Salgo, MD; Jeffrey D. Dunn, PharmD, MBA; and Maria Lopes, MD, MS, discuss accountable care organizations and cost-effectiveness programs in diabetes.

Despite providing patients with a number of disease management tools, the United States has not yet gained control of the diabetes epidemic, explains Dr Dunn. He says that coordination between all stakeholders (eg, patient, provider, payer, managed care) is necessary. In addition to improvements in the coordination between stakeholders, risk stratification and personalized treatment modalities are also important.

Dr Lopes notes that better care will require a more individualized approach and patient motivation. Preventive measures are important because they reduce the long-term costs of care, she adds. As an example, Kari Uusinarkaus, MD, FAAFP, FNLA, highlights the need for patients to understand their food choices and to read nutrition labels.

Yehuda Handelsman, MD, FACP, FACE, FNLA, concludes the discussion by explaining how diabetes is a global concern, and discusses why it is important to recognize preventive measures that other countries, such as China, are implementing to reduce the number of diabetes diagnoses.