Week 4 Practice Exercise
The application of a quality improvement initiative to decrease diagnosed type 2
diabetes delays requires several organized action plans and resource factors. The first action
suggested is the incorporation of the standardized workflow related to screening into the
electronic health record (EHR) system. This will incorporate clinical decision-support tools
that will remind healthcare providers to screen high-risk patients, particularly, those with
obesity, hypertension, or a family history of diabetes, according to the guidelines of the
American Diabetes Association (2023). The second significant action step is selective
training of clinicians and nurses. Such sessions will help establish that the providers are only
at par to the new workflow, the significance of early detection and the need to document their
moves properly.
Although the positive effects of the offered improvement plan are salient, there are
certain issues that might undermine its effectiveness. Clinician adherence to new workflows
is one of the greatest impediments as well. Self-report of stride length was found on a few of
the providers as cumbersome or disruptive during examination of a patient, especially with
the high-act as a clinic (Dulyapach et al., 2022). The other disadvantage is the initial financial
and resource-related investment required to modernize the EHR system and organise training.
Those running in small facilities or those with a low budget might not be able to engage in
the cost of upgrading IT or even hiring more to help during the training. In addition, the
accessibility to the less likely patients to the preventive care, including the representatives of
underserved communities, could restrict the area of early diagnosis.
This initiative will need a number of resources. It consists of IT support concerning
the modification of the EHR and the incorporation of screening prompts, education materials
among staff and patients, and trained individuals to implement continuous follow ups and
feedbacks. These measures will be successful and the effectiveness of these actions will be
realized using a pilot program in one of the primary care units before the recommendations
are realized with other departments.
Although these resources demand an initial investment, they ultimately are cost
justifiable. Carlson et al. (2025) state that early diagnosis of diabetes will decrease
complications and long-term healthcare spending lessening irritation cases of welcoming and
developing full-scale illness treatment. This opinion is also confirmed by Dulyapach et al.
(2022), who stated that significantly consolidered you back four 5 health system costs in
patients with a later diagnosis of the course of the disease.
Finally, though there might be some important obstacles as clinician resistance and
limited budget, the intended quality improvement plan is feasible and sustainable. It is in
compliance with the country standards of care and has room to have a massive boost in
patient outcomes. Continuous engagement with quality improvement team, IT department
and clinical leadership will play a vital role in overcoming these challenges and successful
implementation.
References
American Diabetes Association. (2023). Standards of care in diabetes—2023.
[Link]
diabetes-guide-for-prevention-diagnosis-treatment-people-living-with-diabetes
Carlson, A. L., Badlani, S., & Shah, V. N. (2025). The role, potential benefits, and cost-
effectiveness of digital tools for diabetes management. Clinical Therapeutics.
[Link]
Dulyapach, K., Ngamchaliew, P., Vichitkunakorn, P., Sornsenee, P., & Choomalee, K.
(2022). Prevalence and associated factors of delayed diagnosis of type 2 diabetes
mellitus in a tertiary hospital: A retrospective cohort study. International Journal of
Public Health, 67, 1605039. [Link]