Reduced Hospital Utilization and Cost Savings Associated with Diabetes Patient Education

Introduction Diabetes mellitus affects an estimated 11 million persons in the United States. These persons are at risk for serious chronic complications which include visual impairment, foot ulcers and lower extremity amputations, kidney disease, adverse outcomes of pregnancy, cardiovascular disease, as well as the acute complications of hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, and ketoacidosis. Studies have shown that comprehensive care which includes education, dietary therapy, drug therapy (as appropriate), smoking cessation, and exercise can be effective in improving health and reducing the morbidity and mortality of these serious complications (1). The major components of care require considerable self-management skills on the part of the person with diabetes. Patient education for self-management is an integral component of care and has been shown to significantly improve skills, adherence to therapy, and glycemic control (2, 3).