The Diabetes Epidemic
The Numbers Continue to Grow
Diabetes continued to be an epidemic across the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that over 37 million Americans have diabetes and face its devastating consequences. This is up from 24.2 million Americans having diabetes in 2018.
What’s true nationwide is also true in Pennsylvania.
The Stats in Pennsylvania
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) reports the following statistics (as of February 2020) related to the current diabetes epidemic in Pennsylvania:
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Approximately 1,147,490 people in Pennsylvania, or 11.1 percent of the adult population, have diagnosed diabetes.
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An additional 303,000 people in Pennsylvania have diabetes but don’t know it, greatly increasing their health risk.
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There are 3,484,000 people in Pennsylvania, 34.1 percent of the adult population, who have prediabetes with blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.
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Diagnosed diabetes costs an estimated $12.9 billion in Pennsylvania each year.
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Every year an estimated 76,488 Pennsylvanians are diagnosed with diabetes.
Reversing the Trend
So what can be done to combat this trend? The answer is: EDUCATION and SELF-MANAGEMENT
People with diabetes need to be educated about their disease and instructed on what they can do to best manage it, and in some cases, reverse their condition through lifestyle modifications.
Education & Resources
Quality Insights has archived lots of great diabetes management resources - for providers and patients - which can be found in our resource library. We also developed practice modules that offer evidence-based education and guidance on different topics related to diabetes care and management, along with modifications that your practice can implement to improve workflows around diabetes care. Make sure to check them out!
Diabetes Self-Management Education & Support (DSMES)
DSMES programs provide knowledge and skills for people who want to manage their type 2 diabetes and related conditions. Diabetes educators conduct each program, which addresses the needs, goals, and life experiences of people with diabetes. These programs teaches people how to eat healthy, be active, monitor blood sugar levels, take medication, problem solve, reduce risk for other health conditions, and cope with their disease.
Visit the PA Department of Health website to locate a certified DSMES site in your county. Certified DSMES sites are those that have been accredited through the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) or recognized by the American Diabetes Association (ADA).
