Identifying and Addressing Educational Needs Regarding the Increased Risk of Complications Due to Influenza Infection in People with Diabetes

Rationale: Compared with the general population, patients with diabetes are more likely to develop severe influenza and associated complications. Timely recognition and treatment of high-risk patients can improve patient outcomes, yet morbidity and mortality remain high in this population in part due to low awareness among patients and providers. Methods: To address this, Vindico provided a comprehensive continuing education (CE) expert panel and e-monograph targeted to primary care providers (PCPs) who treat diabetes. Baseline knowledge and practice patterns as well as educational impact were assessed via pre- and post-test. Results: A total of 1,989 PCPs participated, with complete datasets available for 978. At baseline, knowledge was low on all topics - burden of influenza in patients with diabetes (27% correct), risk factors for severe outcomes (34%), and management approaches (38%). Of note, 70% underestimated the risk of admission to the ICU in patients with diabetes and influenza. These knowledge gaps translated into practice gaps, with only 18% always reporting early identification and management of patients with diabetes and suspected influenza. Importantly, there was an average increase in knowledge of 46. At 60-day follow-up, 89% had implemented practice improvements and 23% had improved interprofessional care practices, which contributed to improved patient outcomes, including earlier patient identification and intervention. Conclusion: In our dataset, PCPs who manage patients with diabetes had inadequate knowledge regarding increased risk for adverse outcomes due to influenza infection. These data demonstrate the benefit of targeted education to improve HCP knowledge and the translation of knowledge to practice improvements for enhanced patient outcomes. Disclosure K.Robinson: None. B.Carson: None. J.L.Scavone: None. J.Frederick: None. R.A.Esgro: None. Funding Genentech (G-90568)