Vizient, Inc. released a report linking care disparities for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) with the level of neighborhood social needs. T2D patients living in neighborhoods with the highest level of social needs disproportionately used more acute care services, had lower rates of critical routine care and higher rates of complications. Read Measuring Type-2 Diabetes Care and Outcomes Across Patients and their Communities.

The rising prevalence of diabetes presents a significant challenge for both the healthcare system and patients. In the U.S., 11.6% of the population (38.4 million people) is estimated to have type 1 or type 2 diabetes and 38% of U.S. adults (97.6 million people) have prediabetes, according to the CDC.

“When providers have the insights that highlight disparities among their patient populations, they can tailor interventions to the specific needs of their patients,” said Maddie McDowell, MD, senior principal, intelligence, Vizient. “Early diagnosis and management by a primary care physician is critical to the disease trajectory of type 2 diabetes.”

The report, written as part of the Medicare Data Sharing for Performance Measurement Program, also known as the Qualified Entity Program, represents Medicare fee-for-service claims data, combined with a proprietary Sg2 dataset that includes Medicare Advantage, commercial and Medicaid payers, along with the patent pending Vizient Vulnerability Index. Drawing on data from 2018-2022, the report includes insights on care utilization, prevention services and early intervention:

Acute care utilization

Rates of emergency department (ED) visits for adults with T2D between the ages of 18 and 50 were more than twice as high in high social needs ZIP codes than low social needs areas. Similarly, inpatient hospitalization rates for adults with T2D aged 18 to 60 were more than double in high social needs areas.

Diabetes prevention services

Disparities were also evident in diabetes prevention services such as smoking cessation counseling, nutritional guidance and physical activity programs. While these services were under-utilized by patients in all payer and age groups, in high social needs areas less than half the rate of preventive service utilization was observed compared to low social needs populations. Among patients aged 18 to 29, 16% of patients from high social needs neighborhoods received these essential services, compared to 39% in low social needs neighborhoods, highlighting a crucial gap in care delivery for at-risk groups.

Early intervention

The report also emphasizes the importance of early intervention in primary care. T2D patients who did not see a primary care physician (PCP) within 12 months of diagnosis were more likely to suffer complications or insulin dependence after five years. For patients ages 30-39, the rate of complications was 5.4% higher than those who had seen their PCP in the first year of diagnosis.

Vizient is the nation’s largest provider-driven healthcare performance improvement company. Learn more about Vizient’s work as a CMS Qualified Entity.

About Vizient, Inc.

Vizient, Inc., the nation's largest provider-driven healthcare performance improvement company, serves more than 65% of the nation's acute care providers, including 97% of the nation's academic medical centers, and more than 35% of the non-acute market. The Vizient contract portfolio represents $140 billion in annual purchasing volume enabling the delivery of cost-effective, high-value care. With its acquisition of Kaufman Hall in 2024, Vizient expanded its advisory services to help providers achieve financial, strategic, clinical and operational excellence. Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Vizient has offices throughout the United States. Learn more at www.vizientinc.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241002990833/en/

Early diagnosis and management by a primary care physician is critical to the disease trajectory of type 2 diabetes.