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Bridging the knowledge—action gap in diabetes: information technologies, physician incentives and consumer incentives converge

Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA, jnobel{at}hsph.harvard.edu

The gap between current medical knowledge and its application in chronic disease management is especially apparent in diabetes care. Although research over the last decade has shown that adherence to standards of care can prevent or delay the onset of devastating diabetic complications, little more than one-third of patients achieve adequate glycaemic control. Obstacles to better care include `system' factors such as inadequate record-keeping and reimbursement policies that reimburse amply for illness but poorly for diabetes education and interventions via telephone and computer. Disparities in healthcare compound the difficulty among vulnerable populations in urban and rural areas. Emerging healthcare delivery systems that encourage payers, providers and consumers to improve diabetes care with the use of information technology and financial incentives are described in different health management settings.

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