Utility of a Diabetes Medication Poster in a Primary Care Clinic

Abstract

Background Diabetes with related complications is a common disease state seen in primary care and available therapies have increased exponentially. It is difficult for a busy primary clinician to know and utilize these options efficiently. Objective The objective was to determine whether creating a diabetes medication poster that included costs, drug classification, adverse effects, and clinical outcomes/contraindications/cautions for use in an internal medicine/medicine-pediatric clinic improves resident and faculty knowledge, comfort, and awareness of those medications. Methods This quality improvement prospective study was designed to evaluate the utility of a diabetes medication poster in a medicine/medicine-pediatric clinic over a 2-month period. A pre and post survey was electronically sent to all residents and faculty to assess their level of confidence and knowledge of diabetes medication treatment before and after the poster was distributed. This study was classified as exempt by the Institutional Review Board. Results There were 40 physicians that responded to the pre survey and 31 to the post survey. Both surveys revealed >90% agreed or strongly agreed that the poster would decrease risk of adverse reactions, help control cost, and increase confidence to providers about diabetic medications. The knowledge score increased pre vs post survey ( P = .0398). Conclusion There are a myriad of tools that can be utilized to help navigate complex diseases. Posters have rarely been evaluated. Physicians viewed the diabetes medication poster as favorable to help decrease adverse effects and cost while increasing knowledge. Areas where visual aids could be effective without overwhelming the providers should be explored.