The Wisconsin Collaborative Diabetes Quality Improvement Project: Effective Statewide Collaboration

Objective: To improve the ability of health systems to evaluate trends in data and improve diabetes care quality through effective collaboration among health maintenance organizations.

Methods: Participating health plans provide Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) data on Comprehensive Diabetes Care measures and other selected chronic disease-related measures. Data are analyzed, blinded, and shared with collaborators at quarterly meetings. Data are used to discuss outcomes and to plan strategies for quality improvement.

Results: HEDIS® Comprehensive Diabetes Care measures have improved since the project began in 1999, and variation among plans has decreased. Effective collaboration has resulted in a selection of initiatives including development and revision of the Wisconsin Diabetes Mellitus Essential Care Guidelines, eye exam initiatives, patient educational DVDs, and other quality improvement initiatives.

Conclusion: Wisconsin's performance exceeds national averages for all HEDIS® Comprehensive Diabetes Care measures. This Collaborative is an effective model to replicate for analyzing and improving quality for other programs, states, and organizations.