The Diabetes Care Support Service for general practitioners in Auckland.
OBJECTIVE
Diabetic complications can often be prevented by timely detection and intervention. Optimising diabetes care requires effective monitoring of risk factors at both practice and district level. We describe a novel method which combines district monitoring of diabetes with enhanced diabetes care by individual general practitioners.


METHODS
All general practitioners in south and west Auckland (n = 291) were invited to join the Diabetes Care Support Service (DCSS). This involved the identification of all diabetic patients within the practice and the completion of an audit from with key measures of diabetes and its care.


RESULTS
Audit was completed for 217 (75%) of general practitioners and 4611 diabetic patients: 39% of general practitioners completed their own audit. The proportion of completed patient assessments ranged between 35% (foot pulses) and 89% (blood pressure). The process was found to be helpful by 88% of general practitioners (who commented).


CONCLUSIONS
The DCSS is a seamless, service-orientated approach to the delivery of diabetes care by primary and secondary services and is likely to improve care district-wide and identify the need for further interventions. Subsequent audit passes will allow the demonstration and monitoring of any changes that occur, as well as the demonstration of its feasibility and acceptability on an ongoing basis.
Simmons
D
D
South Auckland Academic Division, University of Auckland, Middlemore Hospital.
Fleming
C E
CE
Cutfield
R
R
Patel
A
A
Innes
J
J
Wellingham
J
J
D001794:Blood Pressure; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005194:Family Practice; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005528:Foot / Q000098:blood supply; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008485:Medical Audit; D009520:New Zealand; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011674:Pulse; D012307:Risk Factors