Ethical and Sustainable Actions to Address the Underperformed Benchmarks NHS FPX 6004 Assessment 1 Dashboard Metrics Evaluation

The data is evaluated as compared to the benchmarks set by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)’s National Healthcare Quality and Disparity Report (NHQDR). According to this report, adults who are more than 40 years of age and have been diagnosed with diabetes should get their eyes and feet examined per year, whereas for HgBA1c, they must get it checked twice a year. The national benchmarks set for all these screening tests are 75.2%, 84.0%, and 79.5%, correspondingly. The state-level benchmarks set for these tests in the year 2019 are 73.1% for eye tests, for foot exams (82.9%), and for HgBA1c is 70.4% (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, n.d.). 

MMC is falling short in all these criteria as only 40-42% of patients have received foot examinations in both years, whereas only 35.5%-41% have gone through eye exams. The rates of HgBA1c tests increased from 37.3% to 48.3% only. This evaluation reveals that MMC should put striving efforts to improve these underperformances to ensure the quality of care is provided and diabetes is effectively managed. Moreover, the missing information about the policy on diabetes screening in the Mercy Medical Center would have improved the analysis. 

Consequences of Not Meeting These Benchmarks 

Diabetes screening tests (eye, foot, and HgBA1c) are imperative for patients who are either pre-diabetic or have been diagnosed with diabetes. If inadequately screened, it may lead to several consequences. The poor consequences include delayed diagnosis which may lead to severe morbidities and may increase mortality rates, financial burden due to deferred management and recurrent hospital readmissions, and poor quality of life. Delayed diagnosis of diabetes and diabetic-related complications (diabetic retinopathy and diabetic neuropathy) may lead to ineffective management of the disease process which may impair patients’ daily functioning and quality of life (Jia et al., 2020). Hospital readmissions are another consequence of inadequate screening which may incur costs for the patients, their families, as well as for the healthcare organization.

This will not only increase the risk of complications but may reduce the quality of life, eventually leading to death (Rubin et al., 2023). The consequences also harm organizational reputation, and financial situation, and may impose harmful impacts on the interprofessional team’s capabilities to perform effective healthcare practices. The assumption underlying the analysis is that every healthcare organization’s mission and goal is to provide quality care to the patients and improve the well-being of the team member too. Therefore, it is significant for any healthcare organization like MMC, to ensure that these benchmarks are attained to prevent patients from these consequences. 

Evaluation of the Underperformed Benchmark

The national and state-level benchmarks identified earlier are significantly different from the dashboard metrics of Mercy Medical Center. However, eye tests and foot examinations have to greatest potential to improve overall quality and performance for patients with diabetes as they are prone to develop diabetic retinopathy and diabetic neuropathy as complications. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) also emphasizes the importance of these tests to early detect the signs of complications and prevent severe outcomes. 

Diabetic retinopathy is described as the mutilation of microvessels of the retina. This may further lead to physical changes in the structure of the retina which may eventually cause blindness. A statistic reveals that around 93 million patients will diabetes are suffering from diabetic retinopathy, worldwide. Moreover, a 2007 report presents that out of 39 million people who are blind 4.8% are blindness due to the same condition (Assem et al., 2020). This data advocates the need for regular eye examinations to prevent the onset of blindness. 

NHS FPX 6004 Assessment 1 Dashboard Metrics Evaluation

Another important diabetes screening test is foot examination which prevents diabetic neuropathy and reduces the risks of foot ulcers in pre-diagnosed diabetic patients. Diabetic foot ulcers are one of the severe impediments of diabetes which may be because of poor glycemic control. To minimize the risk of diabetic foot ulcers, it is essential to regularly get foot examinations done along with controlling glycemia in the body. Proper screening of feet and care of diabetic feet is essential to prevent the limb from serious outcomes like amputation (Song & Chambers, 2023; Wang et al., 2022). As these studies indicate the importance of eye tests and foot examinations for diabetic patients, it is significantly important for healthcare organizations and Mercy Medical Center to improve their benchmark u