Measuring the quality of diabetes care for older american indians and alaska natives.
OBJECTIVE
This study evaluated the quality of diabetes care for older American Indians and Alaska Natives.


METHODS
We analyzed the Indian Health Service Diabetes Care and Outcomes Audit to determine whether completion of indicators of diabetes care differed as a function of age and whether additional patient and program factors were also associated with completion of the majority of the indicators.


RESULTS
Completion rates varied by age group, with significantly lower rates seen among the youngest and oldest. Patient diabetes education and duration of diabetes were most strongly associated with the completion of the majority of these indicators.


CONCLUSIONS
Further studies are needed to determine effective interventions, including diabetes education, to improve the quality of diabetes care in the youngest and oldest age groups.
Roubideaux
Yvette
Y
Mel and Enid Zuckerman Arizona College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson 85716, USA. yvetter@u.arizona.edu
Buchwald
Dedra
D
Beals
Janette
J
Middlebrook
Denise
D
Manson
Spero
S
Muneta
Ben
B
Rith-Najarian
Steve
S
Shields
Ray
R
Acton
Kelly
K
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000413:Alaska; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D004930:Inuit; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000145:classification* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States; D016549:United States Indian Health Service / Q000592:standards*