The hickory project: controlling healthcare costs and improving outcomes for diabetes using the asheville project model.

Abstract

The Hickory Project shows that it is possible to produce sustained improvements in clinical outcomes and reductions in healthcare costs for patients with diabetes using a chronic care model that provides frequent patient follow-up, a focus on appropriate medication therapy, adherence to clinical practice guidelines, and a reduction in prescription copayments for antidiabetes medications as an incentive for patients to participate in the program.