title: Barriers and facilitators to evidence based care of type 2 diabetes patients: experiences of general practitioners participating to a quality improvement program.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the barriers and facilitators to high-quality diabetes care as experienced by general practitioners (GPs) who participated in an 18-month quality improvement program (QIP). This QIP was implemented to promote compliance with international guidelines.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty out of the 120 participating GPs in the QIP underwent semi-structured interviews that focused on three questions: 'Which changes did you implement or did you observe in the quality of diabetes care during your participation in the QIP?' 'According to your experience, what induced these changes?' and 'What difficulties did you experience in making the changes?'
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most GPs reported that enhanced knowledge, improved motivation, and a greater sense of responsibility were the key factors that led to greater compliance with diabetes care guidelines and consequent improvements in diabetes care. Other factors were improved communication with patients and consulting specialists and reliance on diabetes nurse educators. Some GPs were reluctant to collaborate with specialists, and especially with diabetes educators and dieticians. Others blamed poor compliance with the guidelines on lack of time. Most interviewees reported that a considerable minority of patients were unwilling to change their lifestyles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Qualitative research nested in an experimental trial may clarify the improvements that a QIP may bring about in a general practice, provide insight into GPs' approach to diabetes care and reveal the program's limits. Implementation of a QIP encounters an array of cognitive, motivational, and relational obstacles that are embedded in a patient-healthcare provider relationship.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, Katholieke Universiteit, Leuven, Belgium. geert.goderis@skynet.be
authors.forename: Geert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Goderis
authors.forename: Liesbeth
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Borgermans
authors.forename: Chantal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mathieu
authors.forename: Carine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Van Den Broeke
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hannes
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heyrman
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grol