Minneapolis - The University of Minnesota, in collaboration with Medica Research Institute and HealthPartners Institute, has been awarded $2.6M from the National Institute of Health to study how Minnesota primary care providers can improve the delivery of diabetes care.
The three Minnesota organizations will evaluate how the Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model--known in Minnesota as the Health Care Home (HCH) model--provide care for patients with diabetes. PCMHs have become widely regarded as the preferred model for delivering care nationwide. In Minnesota, more than two thirds of primary care practices have earned HCH certification in the years since the state passed legislation creating the process in 2008. The legislation linked payment reform to the adoption of strict criteria identifying essential services necessary for HCH certification.
The research team will use data collected in the wake of the reform to analyze the impact of HCHs on the clinical outcomes of individuals with diabetes. The study will identify specific changes in primary care offices that have most improved health across Minnesota.
"Understanding what improves care will help physicians and health care systems provide the most effective services and resources to their patients with diabetes," says Kevin Peterson, MD, University of Minnesota, who is leading the study with Caroline Carlin, PhD, Medica Research Institute investigator, and Leif Solberg, MD, HealthPartners Institute.
Over the next five years, the research team will evaluate data from 2008 through 2019 to study the impact of changing models of primary care delivery. The data will include quality of care measures collected by MN Community Measurement (mncm.org), health insurance claims, and changing primary care practice characteristics. In-depth interviews with selected practices will enhance the team's understanding of how changes in primary care practice organization influence optimal diabetes care.
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This work is supported through the NIH's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases under grant R18DK110732. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.
About the University of Minnesota Medical School: The University of Minnesota Medical School, with its two campuses in the Twin Cities and Duluth, is a leading educator of the next generation of physicians. The school's graduates and 3,370 faculty and affiliate physicians and scientists advance patient care, discover biomedical research breakthroughs with more than $177 million in sponsored research annually, and enhance health through world-class patient care for the state of Minnesota and beyond. Visit http://www.med.umn.edu to learn more.
About Medica Research Institute: The Medica Research Institute is a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization committed to investigator-driven, public domain research. Medica Research Institute's mission is to advance knowledge that informs value-based health care and accountable communities for health. For more information about the Medica Research Institute visit: http://www.MedicaResearchInstitute.org.
About HealthPartners Institute: HealthPartners Institute is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1990 as part of HealthPartners integrated care system. The Institute uses research and education to advance the Triple Aim of improving health, experience, and affordability for our members, patients and community. For more information, visit: http://www.healthpartners.com/hprf/index.html.