Clinical pathway for the community-level management of patients with type 2 diabetes

To assess the results of a type 2 diabetes electronic clinical pathway using an empirical study.

A literature review and expert meetings were used to formulate a community-based clinical pathway document for type 2 diabetes, and an electronic clinical pathway platform was developed. An intervention study method was adopted in which the electronic clinical pathway management intervention was applied in type 2 diabetes patients from the Weifang Community Health Service Center. The patients were randomly divided into the clinical pathway group (electronic clinical pathway management) or the control group (routine blood glucose control treatment), and the study lasted 1 year. The results of the electronic clinical pathway management for type 2 diabetes was assessed through a comparative analysis of three factors, namely, metabolic markers, standardised management rate, and blood glucose control rate.

The overall cohort comprised 264 patients. The postintervention blood glucose and blood lipid levels were significantly different between the clinical pathway (n = 132) and control groups (n = 132) (P < .0001). In addition, the fasting blood glucose levels, glycated haemoglobin levels, and blood lipid levels of the clinical pathway group were significantly lower than those in the control group.

The type 2 diabetes electronic clinical pathway can effectively improve the diabetes management levels and improve the degree of standardisation and levels of diagnosis and treatment during administration by family doctors. The application of the electronic clinical pathway can be further improved and expanded in community health service centres.