The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #45394

Fevzi Akinci, PhD, King's College, 133 N River Stree, Wilkes barre, PA 18711, Marc Marchese, PhD, Human Resources Management, King's College, 133 N River Street, Wilkes Barre, PA 18711, Bernard J Healey, PhD, Department of Health Care Administration, King's College, McGowan School of Business, 133 N River Street, Wilkes Barre, PA 18702, 570 208 5900, fakinci@kings.edu, and Michael Hromchak, MBA, Wyoming Valley Health Care System, Suite 350, 35 West Linden Street, Wilkes Barre, PA 18702.

ABSTRACT

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention there are 16 million people with diabetes and 95 percent have Type 11 diabetes and can be managed through weight reduction, physical activity and proper nutrition. The purpose of this study was to discover if a community collaboration effort could increase employers interest in diabetes self-management programs.

This study involved human resource managers from northeastern Pennsylvania. The educational initiative was offered at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and used health care administration faculty, local physicians and pharmacists as educators A pre and post questionnaire was used to evaluate knowledge of the problem of Type 11 diabetes and the value of work place self-management programs.

A strong statistical relationship was found among four variables (p<.05) among the pre and post test questionnaires. The program attendees were more knowledgeable about the costs associated with uncontrolled diabetes and the physical costs to their employees. The human resource managers also were more knowledgeable about the long-term complications of this health problems associated with uncontrolled diabetes and indicated an interest in starting a diabetes self-management program in their company.

This program has had a significant impact on the knowledge of diabetes among human resource managers and has increased their interest in the development of work place initiatives to monitor and control the complications of diabetes among their employees.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will become aware of the need for diabetes self-management programs in the work place
• Participants will also become aware of the cost savings that a company can realize from diabetes self-management program.

Keywords: Diabetes, Education

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.