AMGA to Assess Impact of COVID-19 on Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
Alexandria, VA – AMGA, through a Medical Sponsorship from Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) for US Hospital Quality Improvement or Medical Projects Related to COVID-19, will conduct a retrospective data analysis to determine the impact of COVID-19 on patients with type 2 diabetes, a condition that affects about 14% of adults who receive care, putting them at risk for a range of multi-system complications. Due to the financial strains COVID-19 has placed on providers, there is concern that patients with chronic conditions will not receive the care they need to manage their health.
Through a partnership with Optum®, AMGA has access to deidentified clinical data from 22 geographically diverse health care organizations caring for more than 20 million patients. These data will be accessed for this analysis with the objective of describing changes in routine clinical care for patients with chronic conditions and their providers before and during (and potentially after) the COVID-19 pandemic. The focus is on ambulatory care for patients with type 2 diabetes.
“COVID-19 has disrupted the usual flow of care for millions of patients with type 2 diabetes,” said John Kennedy, M.D., AMGA Foundation president and AMGA chief medical officer. “These patients are at increased risk for developing severe complications from COVID-19 infection as well as diabetes, due to decreased access to diabetes education services, diabetes medications, and glucose testing supplies. Most critically, stay-at-home orders in many locations have restricted patient access to in-person care, which has forced providers to come up with innovative, alternative telehealth solutions required for monitoring of comorbidities such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and micro- or macrovascular complications.”
The analysis will attempt to address the following questions, among type 2 diabetes patients, as a result of COVID-19:
- Did care delivery patterns change in terms of visit types, volumes, and frequencies? What is the range of care delivery pattern change across and within healthcare organizations?
- Did lab testing (e.g., HbA1c, lipids, triglycerides), urine testing, and clinical observations (e.g., blood pressure) change in terms of volumes, frequencies, and types of tests conducted, recorded, or collected?
- Did prescribed medications change in terms of volumes, frequencies, and types (of medication)?
The knowledge gained by understanding the impact and magnitude of variation across and within health care organizations, of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with type 2 diabetes can be applied to other chronic health conditions.
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About Optum
Optum® is a leading health services innovation company dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and helping make the health system work better for everyone. Optum creates simple, effective and comprehensive health solutions for organizations and consumers across the whole health care system. Optum is one of two distinct businesses within UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH).
About AMGA
AMGA is a trade association leading the transformation of health care in America. Representing multispecialty medical groups and integrated systems of care, we advocate, educate, innovate, and empower our members to deliver the next level of high-performance health. AMGA is the national voice promoting awareness of our members’ recognized excellence in the delivery of coordinated, high-quality, high-value care. More than 175,000 physicians practice in our member organizations, delivering care to one in three Americans.