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Interactive visualization tool to understand and monitor health disparities in diabetes care and outcomes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 May 2024

Jashalynn C. German
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Nutrition, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
Andrew Stirling
Affiliation:
Duke Health Technology Solutions, Duke University Health System, Durham, NC, USA
Patti Gorgone
Affiliation:
Duke Health Technology Solutions, Duke University Health System, Durham, NC, USA
Amanda R. Brucker
Affiliation:
Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
Angel Huang
Affiliation:
Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
Shwetha Dash
Affiliation:
Duke Health Technology Solutions, Duke University Health System, Durham, NC, USA
David J. Halpern
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA Duke Primary Care, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
Nrupen A. Bhavsar
Affiliation:
Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
Eugenia R. McPeek Hinz
Affiliation:
Duke Health Technology Solutions, Duke University Health System, Durham, NC, USA Duke University Health System, Durham, NC, USA
Richard P. Shannon
Affiliation:
Duke University Health System, Durham, NC, USA Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
Susan E. Spratt
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Nutrition, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA Duke Population Health Management Office, Duke Health System, Durham, NC, USA
Benjamin A. Goldstein*
Affiliation:
Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
*
Corresponding author: B. A. Goldstein; Email: ben.goldstein@duke.edu
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Abstract

Objective:

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) poses a significant public health challenge, with pronounced disparities in control and outcomes. Social determinants of health (SDoH) significantly contribute to these disparities, affecting healthcare access, neighborhood environments, and social context. We discuss the design, development, and use of an innovative web-based application integrating real-world data (electronic health record and geospatial files), to enhance comprehension of the impact of SDoH on T2 DM health disparities.

Methods:

We identified a patient cohort with diabetes from the institutional Diabetes Registry (N = 67,699) within the Duke University Health System. Patient-level information (demographics, comorbidities, service utilization, laboratory results, and medications) was extracted to Tableau. Neighborhood-level socioeconomic status was assessed via the Area Deprivation Index (ADI), and geospatial files incorporated additional data related to points of interest (i.e., parks/green space). Interactive Tableau dashboards were developed to understand risk and contextual factors affecting diabetes management at the individual, group, neighborhood, and population levels.

Results:

The Tableau-powered digital health tool offers dynamic visualizations, identifying T2DM-related disparities. The dashboard allows for the exploration of contextual factors affecting diabetes management (e.g., food insecurity, built environment) and possesses capabilities to generate targeted patient lists for personalized diabetes care planning.

Conclusion:

As part of a broader health equity initiative, this application meets the needs of a diverse range of users. The interactive dashboard, incorporating clinical, sociodemographic, and environmental factors, enhances understanding at various levels and facilitates targeted interventions to address disparities in diabetes care and outcomes. Ultimately, this transformative approach aims to manage SDoH and improve patient care.

Information

Type
Research Article
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Association for Clinical and Translational Science
Figure 0

Figure 1. Diagram of analysis population derivation. *HbA1c= hemoglobin A1c.

Figure 1

Table 1. Characteristics of the surveillance population stratified by HbA1c

Figure 2

Figure 2. Population-level visualization.

Figure 3

Figure 3. Neighborhood-level visualization.

Figure 4

Figure 4. Group-level visualization.

Figure 5

Figure 5. Group-level visualization.

Figure 6

Figure 6. Individual-level visualization.

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