Innovative Solutions to Care for Individuals With Diabetes in Underserved Populations

The incidence of diabetes continues to increase in the United States. Management of diabetes remains a significant challenge across the nation, particularly in underserved populations with low socioeconomic status (SES) from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds that are disproportionately affected by this chronic disease. A large, multistate diabetes registry created from the electronic health records of three networks of safety net clinics that provide care to underserved populations recently demonstrated a 14.4% prevalence of diabetes, which is higher in this low-SES population than previously reported (1,2). Men had a higher prevalence than women (16.5 vs. 13.2%), and diabetes prevalence increased across age categories. White patients had the lowest prevalence (11.4%), and Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders had the highest (21.9%), with prevalence ranging from 15.2 to 16.5% for other races/ethnicities. Furthermore, comorbid conditions such as cardiovascular, neurological, renal, and retinal diseases occurred at higher rates in low-SES diverse communities, possibly due to inadequate medical and self-care, as well as inaccurate culture-bound beliefs.

By 2060, the number of U.S. adults with diagnosed diabetes is projected to nearly triple, and the prevalence is expected to double (3). Diabetes imposes large health and …