title: Baseline quality-of-care data from a quality-improvement program implemented by a network of diabetes outpatient clinics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe patterns of diabetes care and implement benchmarking activities at the national level.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 86 clinics participated, all using electronic medical records. Quality indicators were identified, and software was developed, enabling the extraction of the information needed for quality-of-care profiling.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 114,249 patients with type 2 diabetes were seen during 2004. A1C was measured at least once in 88.0% of the patients, lipid profile in 64.6%, blood pressure in 77.2%, and microalbuminuria in 48.1%. Overall, 43.1% of individuals had A1C <or=7.0%, 36.6% had blood pressure <or=130/85 mmHg, and 29.8% had LDL cholesterol <100 mg/dl. Only 5.5% of the patients had achieved all the favorable outcomes. Wide between-center variation was documented for all indicators.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is the first step of a nationwide quality-improvement effort and documents the possibility of obtaining standardized information to be used for diabetes care profiling and benchmarking activities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Epidemiology, Consorzio Mario Negri Sud, S Maria Imbaro CH, Italy. mrossi@negrisud.it
authors.forename: Maria C E
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nicolucci
authors.forename: Adolfo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arcangeli
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cimino
authors.forename: Gualtiero
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Bigontina
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giorda
authors.forename: Illidio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Meloncelli
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pellegrini
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Valentini
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vespasiani
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000652:urine; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000592:standards*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy* / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care / Q000592:standards; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D008055:Lipids