Project ECHO for Diabetes Improves Primary Care Providers’ Comfort With and Use of Diabetes Medications and Technology
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes are leading causes of death in the United States; yet, less than one-third of American adults living with diabetes reach glycemic, blood pressure, and cholesterol targets for preventing or delaying diabetes complications. The need for improved patient care is urgent because people with diabetes are two to four times more likely to die as a result of CVD compared to those without diabetes. A recent study found that only 26% of American adults reached the combined goals for preventing or delaying diabetes complications, which include the management of A1C, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels and smoking cessation (1). Despite the progress made in reducing death rates from heart disease and stroke, the impact of cardiometabolic disease is significant. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Every 29 seconds, someone will suffer a coronary event in the United States, every 60 seconds someone will die from such an event, and every 45 seconds, someone will suffer a new or recurrent stroke” (2). Heart disease affects all racial and ethnic groups,