title: [The outpatient care of diabetics. An analysis of the local compulsory medical insurance data from Dortmund].
abstract: Outpatient care of diabetics was analysed for the year 1988 from data available through the AOK Health Insurance at Dortmund, Germany, using a representative sample of 368 diabetics (124 men, 244 women; mean age 66.9 years). Compared with a group of nondiabetics (n = 1104), matched for age and sex, the diabetics had more contacts with their medical practitioner (36.3 vs 24.9; P < 0.001), more prescriptions (43.3 vs 26.1; P < 0.001), and more overall medical attention (77.6 vs 51.3; P < 0.001). Blood sugar measurements were obtained in 90.5% of the diabetics, but HbA1 was measured in only 8.2%. Only 7.1% of diabetics were given test strips for self-monitoring of urinary and blood sugar levels. Fundoscopic examination had been undertaken in 18.5% of diabetics. Measurements of total cholesterol, triglyceride and creatinine concentrations and recordings of the ECG were done in about half of the diabetics. Outpatient diagnostic tests for cardiovascular diseases were performed in fewer than 2% of both the diabetic and the control groups. These data make it clear that the outpatient care of diabetics with respect to metabolic control and monitoring of diabetes-related disease urgently requires improvement.
authors.affiliation: Klinische Abteilung des Diabetes-Forschungsinstituts, Medizinische Fakultät, Universität Düsseldorf.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hauner
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: von Ferber
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Köster
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005860:Germany, West / Q000453:epidemiology; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D008055:Lipids
vernacular_title: Ambulante Versorgung von Diabetikern. Eine Analyse von Krankenkassendaten der AOK Dortmund.