PROPAT: A study to improve the quality and reduce the cost of diabetes care

ObjectiveIn PROPAT we implemented an integrated approach to diabetes care designed to improve the quality and reduce the cost of care.Study design and methodsPROPAT was a case-control study matching patients by age and gender (diabetes:control ratio 1:2) within IOMA, a public employment-based health maintenance organization (HMO) of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Costs were evaluated using prevalence data from an HMO perspective. We currently report clinical and biochemical data and costs from the first 297 patients enrolled who completed 1 year in PROPAT, and compare them with those derived from control patients.ResultsAll recommended practices recorded as care provided at baseline increased significantly 1 year after implementing PROPAT, with a parallel significant improvement in several clinical and biochemical parameters, and markedly lower total annual per capita costs.ConclusionsThese results demonstrate that the implementation of a comprehensive diabetes care program can simultaneously improve quality while reducing costs.