Incorporating ADA Best Practice Guidelines in Electronic Medical Records to Improve Glycemic Management in Health Care Facilities

Stakeholders in the United States are of the mindset that diabetes health care is insufficient [1-3]. As a result, inpatient glycemic management has become a priority in many hospitals. Many stakeholders have pushed for improved quality of diabetes care, but most health care facilities have remained suboptimal [2]. In 2004, the CMS spent $17.4 billion on unplanned hospitalizations [4]. Health care facilities have become more aware of the impact of untimely and poor treatment of diabetes on the nations’ resources. Manchester [5] reported that between 1980 and 2003, patients being discharged from acute care setting with a diagnosis of diabetes reflected an increase from 2.2 to 5.1 million, a 132% increase in 23 years. In 2007, $116 billion was spent on medical payments for inpatient diabetes care. Poor glycemic management of hospitalized patients is associated with complications that lead to additional treatment time in the hospital [1].