Improving Glycemic Control among Incarcerated Men

Abstract

In the California state prison environment, many diabetic inmates have poor glycemic control and are at risk for complications which include heart disease, retinopathy, renal failure and peripheral vascular disease. An established program permitted diabetic inmates to carry a glucometer and perform their own blood glucose finger sticks. As a quality improvement process, in addition to allowing inmates to carry a glucometer one institution developed an individualized interdisciplinary educational program. The purpose of this report is to summarize a Quality Improvement project assessing the addition of a health promotion educational program, and to retrospectively compare existing data to determine if such a program might improve glycemic control among participating inmates. In a prison setting where no dietary modification is provided, it is important to identify strategies which have been shown to promote glycemic control in this population. Additionally, with the increasing incidence of diabetes taking both an economic and human toll, successful glycemic control strategies should be incorporated into the design of care models.