Improving Outcomes: Diabetes Management in Alaskan Primary Care, An Integrative Review

Abstract

Diabetes is a chronic, debilitating disease with a rising incidence in the United States. It is a major cause of complications such as renal failure, heart disease, stroke, lower extremity amputations, as well as blindness. The purpose of this integrative review was to discover what strategies are evidence-based and practical for effective diabetes self-management in the primary care setting. There is a plethora of published evidence that proves Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) is effective for the management of diabetes and prevention of complications. A review of the most current evidence revealed there is no standardized system that allows delivery of DSME from a primary care standpoint. The dissemination of a delivery system that is both feasible and cost-effective within primary care could be revolutionary to the prevention of diabetes in Alaska. Development of a DSME program for primary care could promote improvement in patient self-management of this complex chronic disease. Improving DSME would also help ameliorate serious complications with resultant decrease in costs associated with uncontrolled diabetes on Alaska’s health care system. The possibility of creating healthier lives, healthier communities, and a healthier planet is in the grasp of today’s clinicians.