Bridging the communication gap in diabetes care

Abstract

The objective of the study was to examine, using a clinical computer system, the effect of a new shared care scheme on the number of screening tests performed. Data came from a central register and general practice notes. All diabetic patients were nominated as suitable for shared care by their general practitioner. The study looked at the proportion of patients receiving nine of the British Diabetic Association's recommended items of diabetes care: measurement of height, urine protein, blood pressure, visual acuity, glycated haemoglobin, blood urea or creatinine, examination of the fundi and peripheral pulses, review by a dietitian. Results showed that the proportion of patients receiving these items of care 0, 7, 10 and 22 months after the introduction of the new scheme were 74%, 81%, 83% and 90% respectively (p<0.01 for all). The number of patients receiving shared care increased from 1, 190 to 2,049. It was concluded that facilitating a shared care scheme using prompts for screening can improve care for diabetic patients.