Comparing self-reported measures of diabetes care with similar measures from a chart audit in a well-defined population.
The objective of this study was to compare self-reported measures of diabetes care with measures derived from medical records in a well-defined population. Diabetes measures were collected through a 1997 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System telephone survey of American Indians living on or near 7 Montana reservations (N = 398) and were compared with data collected from charts of a systematic sample of American Indians with diabetes seen in 1997 at Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities. Survey respondents were more likely to report a duration of diabetes > or = 10 years (44 vs 31%), annual dilated retinal exam (75 vs 59%), and an influenza immunization in the past year (73 vs 57%) compared with estimates from the chart audit. Estimates of pneumococcal immunization (88 vs 42%), annual cholesterol screening (86 vs 69%), and overweight, based on body mass index (67 vs 50%), were significantly higher from the chart audit. No significant differences were found between the survey respondents and the chart audit data for annual foot exams (65 vs 61%), annual blood pressure checks (98 vs 93%), high cholesterol (35 vs 41%), and high blood pressure (54 vs 64%). These findings suggest that self-reported data may over and underestimate specific measures of diabetes care.
Harwell
T S
TS
Montana Diabetes Project, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Cogswell Building, Room C-317, PO Box 202951, Helena, MT 59620-2951, USA. tharwell@state.mt.us
Moore
K
K
Madison
M
M
Powell-Taylor
D
D
Lundgren
P
P
Smilie
J G
JG
Acton
K J
KJ
Helgerson
S D
SD
Gohdes
D
D
D000328:Adult; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit / Q000379:methods*; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D009009:Montana; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012647:Self-Assessment; D013689:Telephone