Introduction
In 1994, there were 945 people with diabetes that died in North Dakota. Crude diabetes mortality has increased 46% over the past decade to its highest reported level in 50 years. One out of every seven people in North Dakota develops diabetes and this disease is now the leading cause of blindness, amputations and kidney disease. The direct and indirect health care costs of diabetes is estimated at $262 million dollars annually and will continue to climb unless improvements are made in the way we care and treat people with diabetes in North Dakota.
Diabetes preventive care services, including continuing
medical care, treatment and education, reduce the risk of
complications and premature mortality. The North Dakota
Department of Health conducted studies of preventive care
services to define contributing factors to the high rates of
diabetes complications in North Dakota.
This included surveys of diabetes preventive care practices
conducted on 1,019 people with diabetes and their attending
physicians from four hospital systems located in Fargo,
Bismarck, Dickinson, and Williston. These surveys included
physician and patient attitudes and beliefs regarding
diabetes clinical practice recommendations (i.e., diabetes
self care education programs, medical nutrition therapy,
preventive care practices, complication screening, and
treatment services).
These studies included complication screening assessments
which were conducted on 854 people with diabetes from 19
communities. Clinics included assessments for diabetic eye
disease, amputation risk factors, hypertension,
cardiovascular disease, and glycemic control. This
information was used to define the status of diabetes care.
This information was then compared to surveys findings to
identify gaps in care, education and treatment practices
which may be affecting the high rate of premature
complications and mortality in North Dakota.
© 1998 Prairie Public Broadcasting, Inc.