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The Diabetes Care Support Service for general practitioners in Auckland
D Simmons1, C E Fleming, R Cutfield
1South Auckland Academic Division, University of Auckland, Middlemore Hospital.
The New Zealand Medical Journal
|February 28, 1997
Summary
A new Diabetes Care Support Service (DCSS) improved diabetes monitoring and care in primary practices. This novel approach supports district-wide improvements and identifies intervention needs for better diabetes management.
Area of Science:
- Primary Care and Public Health
- Diabetes Management and Epidemiology
Background:
- Effective diabetes care requires robust monitoring of risk factors at practice and district levels.
- Timely detection and intervention are crucial for preventing diabetic complications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a novel method combining district-level diabetes monitoring with enhanced general practitioner (GP) care.
- To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the Diabetes Care Support Service (DCSS).
Main Methods:
- General practitioners (n=291) in South and West Auckland were invited to join the DCSS.
- Practices identified all diabetic patients and completed an audit of key diabetes care measures.
- Data collection involved GP audits and patient assessments for measures like blood pressure and foot pulses.
Main Results:
- Audits were completed by 217 (75%) GPs, covering 4611 diabetic patients.
- Patient assessment completion rates varied, from 35% for foot pulses to 89% for blood pressure.
- 88% of commenting GPs found the DCSS process helpful.
Conclusions:
- The DCSS offers a seamless, service-oriented approach integrating primary and secondary diabetes care services.
- This model is likely to enhance district-wide diabetes care and identify needs for further interventions.
- Ongoing audits will monitor changes, demonstrating the ongoing feasibility and acceptability of the DCSS.