title: Contacting dropouts from type 2 diabetes care in public primary health care: description of the patient population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize dropouts from type-2 diabetes (T2D) care in communal primary health care.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a Finnish city, patients with T2D who had not contacted the public primary health care system during the past 12 months were identified with a computer based search and contacted by a trained diabetes nurse.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dropouts from T2D treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Demographic factors, laboratory parameters, examinations, medications, and comorbidities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the patients with T2D, 10% (n = 356) were dropouts and 60% of them were men. Median HbA1c was 6.5 (QR for 25% and 75%: 6.0, 7.7) %, (45 [42,61] mmol/mol). Of the dropouts, 14% had HbA1c ≥ 9.0% (75 mmol/mol), and these patients were younger than the other dropouts (mean age 54.4 [SD 10.8] years vs. 60.6 [9.4] years, p < 0.001). Median low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level was 2.8 (QR 2.1, 3.4) mmol/l. Median systolic blood pressure (BP) was 142 (QR 130, 160) mm Hg. Median diastolic BP was 86 (78, 94) mm Hg. Of the dropouts, 83% had comorbidities and 62% were prescribed metformin as a treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ten percent of T2D patients were dropouts of whom those with a poor glycaemic control were younger than the other dropouts. BP and LDL cholesterol concentrations were non-optimal among the majority of the dropouts. Metformin was prescribed less frequently to the dropouts than is usual for T2D patients. The comorbidities were equally common among the dropouts as among the other T2D patients. KEY POINTS   Which kinds of patients are dropouts from type-2 diabetes care is not known. • One-tenth of the patients with T2D were dropouts and they generally had good glycaemic control. • Blood pressure and LDL cholesterol concentrations were non-optimal among the majority of the dropouts. • Fourteen percent of these dropouts had HbA1c > 9% (75 mmol/mol) and they were more often younger than the other dropouts.
authors.affiliation: a Department of General Practice and Primary Healthcare , HUS Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Helsinki , Helsinki , Finland ;|b Social and Health Bureau of the City of Vantaa, Health Centre of the City of Vantaa , Vantaa , Finland ;
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kauppila
authors.affiliation: a Department of General Practice and Primary Healthcare , HUS Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Helsinki , Helsinki , Finland ;|b Social and Health Bureau of the City of Vantaa, Health Centre of the City of Vantaa , Vantaa , Finland ;
authors.forename: Merja K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Laine
authors.affiliation: a Department of General Practice and Primary Healthcare , HUS Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Helsinki , Helsinki , Finland ;|c Health Centre of Nurmijärvi , Nurmijärvi , Finland ;
authors.forename: Mikko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Honkasalo
authors.affiliation: b Social and Health Bureau of the City of Vantaa, Health Centre of the City of Vantaa , Vantaa , Finland ;
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raina
authors.affiliation: d Department of General Practice and Primary Healthcare , University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital , Helsinki , Finland.
authors.forename: Johan G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Eriksson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015897:Comorbidity; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D010352:Patient Dropouts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin
keywords: Characteristics; Finland; comorbidities; dropout; general practice; type 2 diabetes