Diabetes Incentive Performance Study (DIPS) at Shanghai Jiading District

Objectives:Physicians from the Shanghai Jiading community clinic were invited to attend the study seminar. Those physicians who meet the criteria of the study plan were being selected to participate voluntarily. From their patient\'s record, the physicians will recruit a total of 1300 patients with type 2 diabetes who meet the criteria of the Jiading Study. The study utilizes the social learning theory that motivation and social support are important to make behavioral change. The mechanism of providing incentive for patients and physicians will be established after the permission from the Internal Review Board of the hospital and will be approved by the hospital director. Physicians and their patients were randomly divided into 4 groups: Group 1- Physicians only; Group 2 - Patients only; Group 3 - Both Physicians and Patients, Group 4 - control. Groups 1-3 will receive incentives if they can maintain the ideal level of Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) during the 3-years study period. The forth group serves as a control and will not receive any incentive but will be provided diabetes education booklet and group education courses for DM control as usual. Based on the annual evaluation of the level of improvement on HbA1c that is a joint effort of both patients and physicians to achieve the targeted goal of adequate HBA1c level, the value of incentives will be increased accordingly. Our ultimate goal is to evaluate the effectiveness of incentive as an intervention tool to improve the health status of the diabetic patients.