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Published on: January 12, 2024
Short report: suboptimal diabetes care in high-risk diabetic patients attending a specialist retina clinic
S A Al-Ansari1, M T S Tennant, M D J Greve
1Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Aims:
Individuals with diabetic retinopathy (DR) represent a high-risk group who would benefit from intensive metabolic control and risk factor management. This brief report examines quality of care among diabetic patients attending a tertiary retinal clinic.
Methods:
A cross-sectional survey, notes review, and slit-lamp examination was conducted in 139 diabetic patients attending a specialist retinal clinic to assess the quality of comprehensive diabetes care. DR was graded according to the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study scale.
Results:
The prevalence of non-proliferative DR (NPDR) and proliferative DR (PDR) was 39.6 and 35.2%, respectively. The prevalence of microalbuminuria in patients with no DR, NPDR and PDR was 32, 54.1 and 68.8%, respectively. Glycaemic control was suboptimal (mean HbA(1c) 8.0 +/- 1.8%) and 15.8% were current smokers. Drugs affecting the renin-angiotensin system were used by only 61.9% of patients with both DR and microalbuminuria, and aspirin by only 35.3%.
Conclusions:
These data suggest that diabetes care in this high-risk population with established microvascular complications was suboptimal. Specialist clinics dealing with diabetic complications may be a setting where quality improvement strategies to reduce morbidity and mortality should be focused.
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