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Preventing, managing and treating diabetes

The provincial context

Over the last 10 years, the number of Ontarians with diabetes has risen by 69 per cent. By 2010, the number of people living with diabetes is expected to grow from 900,000 to 1.2 million. This presents a daunting and expensive challenge for the province; the cost of treating a person living within Ontario is over $3,000 in the first year of treatment and more than $5,000 when there are complications. The province currently spends more than $5 billion a year to treat diabetes and related conditions such as heart disease, stroke and kidney.

To improve the prevention, management and treatment of diabetes, Ontario is investing $741 million over four years in a comprehensive diabetes strategy, which includes:

  • An online registry of information and tools that will help patients manage their diabetes
  • Funding for insulin pumps and supplies for more than 1,300 adults with Type 1 diabetes
  • Expanding chronic kidney disease services, including greater access to dialysis services
  • Implementing a strategy to expand access to bariatric surgery
  • Educational campaigns about diabetes risk factors in high-risk populations such as Aboriginal and South Asian communities
  • Mapping the prevalence of diabetes across the province and the location of current diabetes programs with an eye to aligning services and addressing service gaps

The Toronto Central LHIN perspective

In the Toronto Central LHIN, where an estimated 70 per cent of health care resources is spent on chronic illnesses, diabetes has emerged as a top priority. Toronto Central LHIN has responded by working with health professionals and providers with expertise in diabetes to design a model for improving diabetes services in local communities. Given that common strategies are required to manage all chronic conditions – including shared electronic information systems, patient self-care tools, multidisciplinary teams and clinical supports such as guidelines and care pathways – the diabetes strategy provides the building blocks of a chronic disease management system that can be used for people with other diseases.