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A system-based intervention to improve postpartum diabetes screening among women with gestational diabetes
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 08/21/2012
Clinical Article
Vesco KK et al. – Rates of postpartum diabetes testing can be improved with system changes and reminders.
Methods- In early 2009, authors conducted Obstetrics department staff education sessions, revised GDM patient care protocols, and developed an electronic system to trigger reminder calls to patients who had not completed DM screening by 3 months postpartum.
- They then evaluated the rates of postpartum glucose test order entry and completion for women with GDM delivering between July 2009 to June 2010 (n=179) and July 2007 to June 2008 (n=200).
- After the program’s implementation, the proportion of women receiving an order for a postpartum glucose test within 3 months of delivery increased from 77.5% to 88.8% (p=.004), and test completion increased from 59.5% to 71.5% (Hazards Ratio 1.37, 95% confidence interval 1.07 to 1.75).