The Asheville Project

The Results

The Results

With the initial roll out of the program which strictly served diabetics, positive results were realized after 6 months and remained fairly consistent from that point forward.  Positive returns were seen by the end of year one with every program.  Replications have seen similar results. Results of published data indicate that the City saves about $4.00 for every $1.00 they invest in the program.

Specifically for the diabetes program, both clinical and economic improvements were made.

Clinical Results

  • Mean A1c decreased at all follow-ups, with more than 50% of patients demonstrating improvements each time.
  • The number of patients with optimal A1c values (< 7 %) also increased at each follow-up.
  • More than 50% of patients showed improvements in lipid levels at every measurement.
  • Results suggested that patients with higher baseline A1c values or higher baseline costs were most likely to improve or have lower costs, respectively.

Economic Results

  • Costs shifted from inpatient and outpatient physician services to prescriptions, which increased significantly at every follow-up.
  • Total mean direct medical costs decreased by $1,200 to $1,872 per patient per year compared with baseline. 

 

<RETURN TO THE MAIN PROJECT PAGE