Quality improvement in primary health care using computerised journal, exemplified by a smoking cessation programme for diabetic patients.
OBJECTIVE
To study the possibility of using the computerised journal for quality improvement in diabetes care.


METHODS
The computerised journal was used to reach all diabetic smokers aged 30-75 years and to invite them to a structured smoking cessation programme. The follow-up time was 18 months.


METHODS
Habo, a Swedish community with 9600 inhabitants, with one primary health care centre.


METHODS
147 subjects, aged 30-75 years, were registered with the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus in the computerised journal at the primary health care centre. Altogetber 25 of these patients were registered as smokers in the journal. All of them were invited to a smoking cessation group.


RESULTS
Information about smoking habits in the journal was available for all but 11%. After 18 months' follow-up, 9 of the 14 patients (64%) who started in the smoking cessation group had become non-smokers. Of those 11 subjects who did not attend the group, 6 had stopped smoking during the follow-up time in spite of not participating in the structured programme.


CONCLUSIONS
The computerised journal is a useful tool for quality improvement, giving the opportunity for directed preventive efforts on selected patient groups.
Persson
L G
LG
Primary Health Care Centre of Habo and Department for Research and Development in Primary Health Care in Habo/Jönköping, Sweden. lg.persson@jonkoping.ltjkpg.se
Lindström
K
K
Lingfors
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000628:therapy*; D005194:Family Practice / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D008875:Middle Aged; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D013548:Sweden