Online Diabetes Resource Includes AAFP's METRIC Program

Family physicians looking for cutting-edge initiatives regarding the care of patients with diabetes can check out DiabetesXChange, a new online resource. The DiabetesXChange site features information on more than 50 diabetes initiatives, including METRIC (Measuring, Evaluating and Translating Research Into Care), the Academy's Web-based performance improvement program.

DiabetesXChange senior director Dana Haza said the Web site was designed as a resource for policy-makers, community leaders, clinicians and researchers to showcase projects that are improving diabetes treatment, management and prevention.

The purpose of the site is to enhance learning and the advancement of ideas, said Haza. The site, which is sponsored by the National Changing Diabetes Program, "was built to fulfill the need for a universal resource; we want to get at the heart of solutions for diabetic patients," said Haza.

METRIC's inclusion on the site was the result of ongoing efforts by Bruce Bagley, M.D., AAFP's medical director for quality improvement, to spread the word about the METRIC initiative.

"We want METRIC to be known as a prototype practice-based improvement tool, and this is just another outlet for that tool," said Bagley.

METRIC was launched in 2005 and initially was designed to help FPs fulfill requirements for part IV (performance in practice) of the American Board of Family Medicine's Maintenance of Certification Program for Family Physicians. METRIC modules currently are available on three clinical topics: diabetes, coronary artery disease and asthma. A fourth module on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is under development.

Statistics on the DiabetesXChange Web site highlight the proliferation of diabetes in the United States. According to figures provided by the American Diabetes Association,

In addition, the Institute for Alternative Futures predicts that if the incidence of diabetes in the United States continues to increase unchecked, by the year 2025, 50 million Americans will have developed the disease.