A Quality Improvement Project to Improve Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Screening in Asian Americans Using Body Mass Index Cut Point of 23

Background: Asian Americans are at a higher risk for Type II Diabetes than other groups and disproportionately develop Type II Diabetes Mellitus at younger ages, although having a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) compared to non-Hispanic whites. Methods: A group of 22 Nurse Practitioners (NP) in New York were presented an evidence-based educational intervention along with a five-item pre-test and post-test to determine if they had acquired new knowledge on the issue. A follow-up survey was conducted to test if the intervention changed individual NP practice in screening Asian Americans in adult primary care clinics. Results: The overall mean improvement in knowledge was 59.1%. The post-test showed that 72.7 % of the nurse practitioners gained the knowledge that 23 Kg/m2 is the BMI cut point that should be used for screening Asian Americans. Although fourteen nurse practitioners (63.6%) were aware that obesity is a risk, nine (31.8%) identified Asian Americans as having a higher risk of developing diabetes at lower BMI’s, with six (27.27%) aware of the recommended BMI cut point of 23 Kg/m2. The follow-up survey indicated an increase in the number of Asian Americans screened using BMI of 23. Conclusions: Improving knowledge of nurse practitioners will increase early diagnosis, treatment of Type 2 diabetes in Asian Americans and ultimately, enhance the quality of life for this population. Utilizing an Asian-specific BMI in the Electronic Health Record system will prompt providers to use the correct BMI and manage appropriately