The quality of diabetes care following hospitalization for ischemic stroke.
BACKGROUND
Follow-up is critically important for stroke survivors with diabetes, yet there is limited research about the quality of diabetes care that these patients receive. We investigated performance on diabetes quality of care indicators for stroke survivors overall and by race.


METHODS
Claims data was extracted for 1,460 Medicare beneficiaries with preexisting diabetes who survived hospitalization for acute ischemic stroke in 2000. Adjusted probabilities of receiving HbA1c, LDL and dilated eye exams were estimated using logistic regression.


RESULTS
53% had a dilated eye exam, 60% received an LDL check, 73% percent had their HbA1c checked at least once and only 51% received two or more HbA1c checks. In the unadjusted results, blacks were significantly less likely than whites to receive these tests.


CONCLUSIONS
Care of stroke survivors, particularly blacks, shows gaps according to guidelines.
Pandhi
Nancy
N
Department of Population Health Sciences, Geriatrics Division, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisc., USA. nancy.pandhi@fammed.wisc.edu
Smith
Maureen A
MA
Kind
Amy J H
AJ
Frytak
Jennifer R
JR
Finch
Michael D
MD
D000208:Acute Disease; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D006278:Medicare; D009184:Mydriatics; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D020521:Stroke / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People
D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D009184:Mydriatics; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human