Assessment of Chronic Disease Management Strategies Among Health Care Practices in Medically Underserved South Carolina Counties

Diabetes and heart disease are among the leading causes of death and disability in the United States, and these conditions are especially prevalent in the South. South Carolina’s persistent racial and socioeconomic disparities in chronic disease outcomes are well-documented, yet little is known about how health care practices in medically underserved areas are addressing these challenges. Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey as part of two complementary 5-year cooperative agreements between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Division of Diabetes and Heart Disease Management (the Division) at the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. The Division fielded a survey to (a) assist in determining which Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) were best poised to implement specific strategies as part of these cooperative agreements and (b) provide data to establish the baseline for performance measures. FQHCs and RHCs in the top 25% of counties with the highest diabetes and heart disease burden were surveyed about eight domains: staffing/services, electronic health records, team-based care policies, lifestyle change programs, medication therapy management, telehealth, quality improvement collaboratives, and patient demographics. Data representing 71 practices revealed contrasts between RHCs and FQHCs and opportunities for improvement. For example, while most practices reported they were not implementing evidence-based lifestyle change programs (e.g., the National Diabetes Prevention Program), most RHCs and FQHCs expressed interest in starting such programs. Findings are being used to guide efforts to improve diabetes and heart disease prevention and management in South Carolina.