title: The quality of diabetic care in a London health district.
abstract: In order to assess the quality of care in a community-wide sample of diabetic patients, a study was performed on 217 such patients identified in three group practices in an east London health district. Only 46% of the patients were currently attending a hospital. In the two years before review, 64% of patients had had their blood pressure recorded and 59% had had retinal examinations. Levels of glycosylated haemoglobin were significantly higher in patients on insulin than in those on oral regimes (P = 0.0004). The mean level of glycosylated haemoglobin was higher in patients from Social Classes III, IV, and V than in patients from Social Classes I and II (P = 0.005), but there was no difference in level between those patients attending hospital and those attending their general practitioners after accounting for differences in these two populations (P = 0.19). Over 50% of all diabetic patients in this study had levels of glycosylated haemoglobin which may indicate vulnerability to microvascular disease.
mesh_terms: D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D003710:Demography; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006027:Glycosides / Q000032:analysis; D006441:Hemoglobin A / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D008297:Male; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D011787:Quality of Health Care
chemical_list: D006027:Glycosides; D006441:Hemoglobin A