Improving Care in the Diabetes Clinic

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is a form of diabetes that develops during pregnancy, typically between 24 and 28 weeks, in individuals without a prior history of diabetes. It affects approximately 13.4% to 14.6% of pregnancies. Management relies heavily on dietary changes and home-based blood glucose monitoring, requiring patients to rapidly acquire and apply new knowledge and self-care skills. The GDM clinic team (above) plays a vital role in supporting patients through this learning process.

In 2024, the Chronic Care Program at QCH was awarded a HIROC safety grant to enhance safety in the outpatient Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) Clinic within Ambulatory Care. The quality improvement initiative included:

• A GDM clinic utilization analysis, which revealed the clinic was operating at near 150% capacity.

• A clinic workflow mapping exercise involving staff and patient engagement.

• Development of the GDM patient passport to help support patients’ GDM self-management skills, guided by clinic staff and patient focus groups.

A highlight of their achievements came in November of 2024, when Lisa Ferrier-Boult, a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) and RN with the Diabetes Clinic, presented the GDM Patient Passport development process at the Diabetes Canada National Conference.

The GDM passport launched on March 10, 2025 and has been well received by both patients and staff. Patients are arriving at appointments with their passports, actively using blood glucose tracking logs, and reporting increased confidence in managing their condition independently.

Next steps include collecting more robust post-implementation feedback to further refine and enhance the passport.