Running head: AYM1 SERVICE PLAN BRIEF
Service Plan Brief for Diabetes Education Services 02/20/2021 Jessica Latham, RN Western Governors University
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AYM1 SERVICE PLAN BRIEF Service Plan Brief for Diabetes Education Services Service Idea Diabetes Mellitus is the most common endocrine disorder of them all (Klandorf, 2019.) According to a 2019 study from the International Diabetes Federation over 463 million people who are aged 20 to 79 are currently living with diabetes. They also mentioned 4.2 million deaths from diabetes. They have also estimated that by the year 2045 over 700 million people will have diabetes. This is a huge opportunity for educational needs and awareness around the world. Diabetes is also very expensive. It was estimated that in 2019 $760 billion dollars were spent on diabetes (Brehmer et al., 2021.) Diabetes Education Services is designed to help people with Type 1 and 2 Diabetes Mellitus to educate themselves and each other on how to better take care of themselves and manage their condition. The focus of our clinic will be to educate patients on how to take their blood sugars, when to check them, what foods increase their blood sugar and help lower it, the importance of staying active, how to prevent major complications and how to administer their insulin. Our services are very important in the ultimate well-being and health of our diabetic patients in Birmingham, AL. The Centers for Disease Control states that those who have more knowledge and support on their condition are healthier than those who are not as well educated and supported (Education and Support, 2019.) Our services are imperative in teaching our patients about how to manage their diabetes, prevent complications, get help and support from their family and life a better quality of life. Goal setting will be another important aspect for our target market. Diabetes is the 9th greatest health concern in the state of Alabama according to the Alabama Public Health website and has the 3 rd highest prevalence in the United States (Diabetes,
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AYM1 SERVICE PLAN BRIEF 2019.) These numbers alone show how much of a need there is for diabetic education services to the population of Birmingham, AL. Market Analysis The target population for my service plan includes all diabetic patients in the Birmingham, AL area. I would target persons with both Type 1 and Type 2 in this service plan as the education needs for both types are applicable. About 12% of the population of Alabama has been diagnosed with Diabetes according to the Alabama Department of Public Health (Diabetes, 2019.) I would target adults aged 20-79. I would especially include African Americans as they are more likely to have and die of diabetes (Diabetes, 2019). The potential referral bases for my diabetes education service would include all out of hospital dialysis clinics in the Birmingham area, Nephrologists, in hospital dialysis clinics and all hospitals in the area. I would also want to include pharmacies that provide insulin to diabetic patients as they do medication information and can give us referrals for potential patients who are not currently utilizing a service for education on their condition. Some potential competitors would include local hospital in-patient programs, other similar services, and the education given at dialysis clinics. The CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, includes information on how to find a diabetes educator sourced from the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES, n.d.). SWOT Analysis Strengths Will encourage care coordination with patients and families Improved patient outcomes
Weaknesses Finding referrals
Increased compliance rate for diabetic patients
Will take a while to have proven results of using our services
There could be other competing services
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AYM1 SERVICE PLAN BRIEF Clinical separation from the patient’s primary care provider
Increased revenue for the company
Opportunities
Threats
Increased job opportunities in the Birmingham area Creating disease awareness in the community Increasing knowledge and therefore compliance for patients Decreased morbidity and mortality from Diabetes Table 1. SWOT Analysis
Decreased patient compliance Competitors in the area who also offer diabetic education People may not be able to afford care if they do not have insurance or fees for services May have a hard time finding referrals who will utilize the program
In summary, there are many opportunities and threats and strengths and weaknesses to this service plan. Internal strengths would include being able to work with the patients as well as their families to understand the disease and learn how to better manage it and prevent complications. This would increase care coordination and bye in from all involved. Increasing compliance and therefore outcomes would be a strength of the services being offered. Some internal weaknesses I would anticipate would include difficulty finding referrals from compliant patients, having competitors whose services may be offered for free or cheaper than ours. Figuring out how to include the patient’s primary care physician and make it interdisciplinary care could prove difficult from a communicatio n and continuation of care scenario. Our services would be clinically separate from the care from their primary team, however the goal would be to integrate both services for increased safety and care for patients. Some opportunities our services would bring would include jobs in the area, creating awareness of the disease and promote prevention, increased compliance and understanding from patients and their families, and at the end of the day we want to decrease morbidity and mortality for the patients. Some
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AYM1 SERVICE PLAN BRIEF threats out of our control would include competition, decreased compliance, people who do not have insurance or coverage to be able to attain education and care. By maximizing the potential opportunities and being aware of potential threats that have been recognized in my SWOT analysis, we can implement a service plan with the greatest opportunity for growth and improved quality of life for our patients. Not only could our service add jobs and improvement in the community infrastructure but we can increase awareness and hopefully decrease the rate at which the people of Birmingham are diagnosed with diabetes. Service Plan Feasibility Cost-Benefit Analysis A cost benefit analysis is a very important decision making process for businesses. According to TheStreet, a cost benefit technique is used to decide a course of action by assigning value to intangible benefits as well as costs into calculations for benefits versus costs (Sraders, 2019). Financial benefits and costs are very important to consider but intangible things such as patient appreciation and job satisfaction should be taken into account also. The ratio for cost benefits is simple benefits/costs (Sraders, 2019). A cost-benefit analysis table can be a visual way to see what you’re up against when considering starting a business or really for any aspect of a business that involves decisions. A disadvantage of a CBA could be that it makes things more black and white and may make it difficult to see the bigger picture about how a decision may affect morale or company culture. Below is my cost-benefit analysis table for my new diabetic educational service. Category The Organization
Operations
Description of the Service Plan Costs Setting up initial infrastructure Equipment & medications Design of teaching materials Office Supplies Marketing
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