UC Davis Health’s innovative, coordinated approach enhances blood glucose control across hospital units without increasing hypoglycaemia risk, setting a new standard in inpatient diabetes management.
UC Davis Health has reported durable gains in hospital diabetes care after building a multidisciplinary system designed to manage blood glucose more consistently across the medical centre. The approach, described in a study published in Diabetes, Obesity, and Cardiometabolic Care, was aimed at improving inpatient glycaemic control without raising the risk of hypoglycaemia, a key safety concern for hospitalised patients.
The work was led by the Multidisciplinary Diabetes Care Committee and introduced in stages over several years. Rather than relying mainly on ad hoc consultations, the system brought together nursing, pharmacy, endocrinology, quality staff and frontline employees around standardised insulin order sets, multidisciplinary glucose rounds, unit-based diabetes nurse champions and an intensive care insulin infusion protocol co-managed with pharmacists. UC Davis Health said it also added dashboards to track glucose and insulin use, along with ongoing education for physicians, trainees, nurses and allied health professionals.
The result was a measurable improvement in glucose control. UC Davis Health said the share of inpatient days with average blood glucose above 180 mg/dL fell, and severe hyperglycaemia became less common. At the same time, low-blood-sugar events did not rise; in fact, the study said hypoglycaemia and severe hypoglycaemia both decreased. Joseph M. Galante, the medical centre’s chief medical officer, said the findings show that “improving inpatient diabetes care requires more than individual interventions” and instead depends on coordinated, system-wide work focused on safety and clinical excellence.
The study also builds on earlier reporting from UC Davis Health, which said its inpatient glycaemic team, established in 2020, had already been linked with shorter stays, lower costs and fewer readmissions. Taken together, the findings suggest that health systems can move beyond reactive glucose management towards a more standardised model aligned with American Diabetes Association guidance. The authors said continued refinement will be needed, but argued that sustained investment in hospital-wide glycaemic management can improve both safety and quality of care.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
