How Different Countries Can Learn from Each Other in the Treatment of Diabetes Mark B. McClellan, Elizabeth Drobnick and Margaret Darling - MedPageToday
go to original April 4, 2015

Obesity is no longer just a rich country's problem. It's now taken hold in poor and emerging countries and is rapidly developing into an insurmountable health crisis. Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers are on the march in nations ill equipped to treat sufferers or educate others about the dangers of getting too fat. It's predicted that by 2030 one billion people will be obese, so how will the world cope with its ever expanding waistline? (liberalcynic)

Type 2 diabetes (diabetes mellitus) is one of the most common chronic diseases worldwide and requires coordinated care and active patient engagement for effective management. The disease affects 380 million adults around the world or 8.3% of the global adult population. The prevalence of diabetes around the world is projected to continue to rise with increased globalization and the resulting behavioral changes, nutritional shifts, and aging populations.

Around the world, a range of programs are attempting to confront this growing trend by implementing care transformations that support prevention and disease management. At the same time, health systems have been under mounting fiscal pressure to reduce healthcare costs. Yet, many countries, including the U.S., still struggle to support and sustain effective diabetes programs.

To assess how health systems were implementing and sustaining innovative diabetes programs, the Brookings Institution conducted five global cases studies in Mexico, India, Spain, and the U.S. to examine clinical and financial models for transforming diabetes care. Given the impact of behavioral choices on the disease, all of the diabetes programs rely heavily on patient engagement and support. This type of care often requires significant paradigms shifts with technological and organizational transformation within health systems, which in turn are difficult to sustain under a wide range of financing models. Each of the five cases highlight significant obstacles to establishing successful diabetes management programs.

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