In a recent study, Emory University found hospitalizations due to diabetes have climbed significantly in Georgia, with the highest rates of visits occurring in rural areas.
More than 1 million Georgians have diabetes, with approximately 44,000 more diabetes cases being diagnosed each year. Surges in the disease have been linked to a national increase in obese and overweight Americans, said Jean O’Connor, DrPH, chronic disease prevention director for the Georgia Department of Public Health.
To prevent ER visits, diabetes patients “should be managed in a primary care setting,” Dr. O’Connor said. “Any hospitalization shows something is off” in access to care for the disease, she added.
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