Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #108484

Nancy Wongvipat Kalev, MPH, State Health Programs, Health Education/Cultural & Linguistic Services, Health Net of California, Inc., 21281 Burbank Blvd, Woodland Hills, CA 91367, (818) 676-7792, nancy.wongvipat@healthnet.com and David M. Bodick, MPH, State Health Programs/Health Education Department, Health Net of California, Inc., 11971 Foundation Place, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670.

Health Net arranges health care for more than 625,000 Medi-Cal members of whom 10,000 have diabetes that require medication or has resulted in inpatient or emergency room (ER) utilization. Diabetes is a disease with significant short-term impact as well as profound long-term implications for which meticulous screening, aggressive therapy and effective case coordination can prevent complications. Based on identified needs, Health Net developed Diabetes-Be In Charge!^sm , a diabetes disease management program tailored to the specific needs of Medi-Cal members. Diabetic members are stratified into risk categories with stratified educational interventions increasing in intensity based on increasing risk and an integrated system of interventions which includes member and provider education. Given that the affects of patient education as an intervention strategy to improve health outcomes are often difficult to measure and evaluate, challenges arise with the need to justify resource expenditures for health education programs. To assess changes in patient knowledge, beliefs, behaviors, practices and usefulness of educational interventions for the various risk and language stratification, 200 phone surveys were conducted before and after implementation of the educational intervention. Results showed a significant intervention effect of the health education only stratified group compared to the treatment groups who received multiple levels of interventions. Effectiveness of the health education intervention component by risk stratification will be evaluated and discussed.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, participants will be able to

• Identify the most useful and effective health education components of an asthma/diabetes disease management program in a managed care setting;
• Identify the least useful and effective health education components of an asthma/diabetes disease management program in a managed care setting;
• Assess the knowledge and behavior change outcomes of health education on asthma/diabetes disease management in a managed care setting.

Keywords: Diabetes, Health Education

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation