WSU Spokane Center Gives Low Marks to U.S. on Diabetes Type 2 Management

By Communications staff, Washington State University

SPOKANE, Wash. — A comprehensive review of the literature on diabetes type 2 by the recently established Center for International Health Services Research and Policy at Washington State University Spokane gives low marks in the management and prevention of Type 2 diabetes by the health care system in the United States.

In a paper appearing in the current issue of Disease Management Health Outcomes, researchers at the Spokane center conclude that the performance of the U.S. health system has not been acceptable in improving health outcomes for patients with Type 2 diabetes. 

“Recognizing the rising incidence rates, the U.S. health system would not receive acceptable marks.  Much work is still needed in this area,” the researchers conclude.

The study reports that a national alliance of 13 public and private organizations and the National Quality Forum have launched an effort to develop national performance measures, which they recognize as a significant step forward.

According to an analysis by the Center for Disease Control, there are more than 16 million Americans aged 40-74 at high risk for developing diabetes. Recent studies from Finland by the Diabetes Prevention Program confirm other findings that show patients who modify their lifestyle can reduce the risk of this disease.  Such research underscores “the importance of preventive measures that can help public health programs identify the populations at-risk that can be monitored and screened for improved outcomes,” according to the study.  

The authors of the study include two faculty members from the WSU center. The lead authors are Fevzi Akinci, newly appointed faculty member in the Department of Health Policy and Administration (HPA), and Joseph Coyne, center director and HPA faculty member. Other co-authors include Dr. Bernard Healey, associate professor and chair of the department of Health Care Administration and International Business at Kings College, and Joni Minear, a graduate of the WSU health policy program. 

Akinci is an internationally recognized health services researcher who has conducted studies of the burden of disease in countries around the world, including as a co-principal investigator of a $1.6 million World Bank funded research project.  Coyne, also recognized internationally for his expertise in health care finance, recently served as a visiting professor to Bocconi University School of Management in Milan, Italy, and has received more than $1.3 million in funding for his research.

The center’s research agenda is directed toward contributing its scholarly and scientific results through peer-reviewed publications and funded research in the following areas:

  • Conducting comparative studies of health systems using performance and outcome measures
  • Generating public policies that contribute to improved health outcomes of health systems
  • Developing future directions for various world leaders of health systems

Web sites:

Article citation: Fevzi Akinci, Joseph Coyne, Bernard Healey, and Joni Minear. “National Performance Measures For Diabetes Mellitus Care: Implications for Health Care Providers” Diabetes.” Disease Management Health Outcomes 12:5 (2004) pp. 285-298.

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