Diabetes Flow Sheet Use Associated With Guideline Adherence
Ann Fam Med Hahn et al.
6: 235
The Article in Brief
Background Flow sheets (forms in the medical record with information about a patient's specific medical condition and a reminder that care is needed) can improve patient care. This study examines how often flow sheets are used to guide diabetes care and the effectiveness of diabetes flow sheets for improving patient care results.
What This Study Found Diabetes flow sheets were used in 23% of medical records of patients with diabetes. Use of diabetes flow sheets is associated with meeting recommended guidelines of the National Diabetes Education Program for diabetes assessment and treatment, but not for achieving intermediate target results for diabetes patients.
Implications
- Diabetes flow sheets can help meet guideline recommendations for assessing and treating diabetes.
- Additional research is needed to explore factors that influence the relationship between diabetes flow sheets and intermediate outcome targets for people with diabetes.
