Overview
Altarum partnered with the state of Michigan to bring about wider adoption of health IT. The partnership focused on getting larger numbers of clinicians in the state to use technology to identify and manage two chronic conditions—hypertension and diabetes.
Our Approach
Our primary role involved training clinicians across the state on how to adopt and use IT to improve care of chronic conditions. We provided in-person training, EHR optimization, and an online resource of tools and best practices. Most clinicians receive only a basic training on how to use health IT. Our rigorous training, which gives IT administrators and clinicians the support they need at every stage, ensures improved adoption rates and, subsequently, improved patient outcomes.
Results
To date, Altarum has engaged more than 30 medical clinics with more than 150 clinicians in this work. These clinics have seen as much as a 12 percent increase in blood pressure control and, overall, have seen a 36 percent increase in adequately controlled diabetes. Additionally, the project has resulted in a 9 percent increase in the identification of hypertension and a 21 percent increase in the identification of prediabetes.
Contact Us
Bruce Maki
Project Manager, Quality Improvement
Areas of Expertise- Project Management
- Federal Clinical Regulations and Compliance
- Health IT Adoption
Bruce is Altarum’s project manager on the Healthy Hearts for Michigan program, a 3-year project funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality targeting cardiovascular disease improvement in rural Michigan primary care offices, as well as the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and Office of Minority Health (OMH) jointly funded National Hypertension Control Initiative which aims to address disparities amongst racial and ethnic minority populations. Bruce also manages another project funded by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services tasked with assisting HIV clinics in southeast Michigan with the identification and care of HIV patients who have also been diagnosed with type II diabetes or chronic kidney disease. Previous projects include two separate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-funded initiatives focused on leveraging and optimizing health information technology to aid Michigan clinics with identifying and managing patients with hypertension and diabetes. Bruce holds a bachelor’s degree from Northern Michigan University and a master’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology from Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois.