States can make changes in health care delivery and best practices that can transform health care systems, reduce costs, and improve public health. For specific diseases like diabetes, a number of States already have substantial programs underway that can shape and inform the development of new initiatives. To assist such efforts, AHRQ has released the following products, developed in consultation with diabetes control and prevention experts at all levels:

• Diabetes Care Quality Improvement: A Resource Guide for State Action. This comprehensive guide offers a wealth of information and details for a range of participants in a State's quality improvement effort, including state elected leaders, executive branch officials, and other nongovernmental State and local health care leaders. The Resource Guide provides background information, analysis of State and national data, and guidance for developing a State quality improvement plan. It gives an extensive listing of many ongoing national, State, and local efforts to improve diabetes care quality.
• Diabetes Care Quality Improvement: A Workbook for State Action. A companion to the Resource Guide, the interactive Workbook presents review exercises for State leaders on the key skills and lessons from the Resource Guide to use in implementing health care quality improvement plans in their States. These practical exercises enable Workbook users to focus on their States in comparison to the Nation and other States.

Download Information

The Resource Guide and the Workbook can be downloaded as Word® or PDF files. Your browser may support downloading the planning guide from this page by using the links below. Right click on the link and then select "Save Target As" (Internet Explorer) or "Save Link As" (Firefox^TM, Netscape®).

• Diabetes Care Quality Improvement: A Resource Guide for State Action (PDF File, 2 MB, PDF Help; Word File, 1.8 MB, Word Viewer).
• Diabetes Care Quality Improvement: A Workbook for State Action (PDF File, 370 KB, PDF Help; Word File, 625 KB, Word Viewer).

Print Availability

Printed copies of both publications may be requested from AHRQ's Publications Clearinghouse by calling 800-358-9295 or by E-mail at ahrqpubs@ahrq.gov. Request AHRQ Publications No. 04-0072 (Resource Guide) and No. 04-0073 (Workbook).

Current as of September 2004

Internet Citation:

Improving the Quality of Diabetes Care. New Tools for States. September 2004. Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/diabqualoc.htm