Abstract

This issue's research column focuses on articles important for the care of patients with diabetes. In 2000, the most recent year for which national data are available, approximately 7.2 million patients were discharged from home healthcare. Of these patients, 347,000 (4.8%) had a primary diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, whereas 1.2 million had diabetes among all listed diagnoses. The average length of home care stay for people with diabetes as their primary diagnosis was 84 days, compared with an average of 69 days for all patients receiving home care (Centers for Disease Control, 2004). Diabetes is a high-prevalence, high-cost condition and one that poses numerous challenges to patients and clinicians. We hope the following summaries will enhance our readers' understanding of the underlying research base available to help them manage these challenges and provide evidence-based care.