Quality of care in diabetes: understanding the guidelines

Review of insulin-associated hypoglycemia and its impact on the management of diabetes in Southeast Asian countries

Although the incidence of diabetes is rising in Southeast Asia, there is limited information regarding the incidence and manifestation of insulin-associated hypoglycemia. The aim of the present review was to discuss what is currently known regarding insulin-associated hypoglycemia in Southeast Asia, including its known incidence and impact in the region, and how the Southeast Asian population with diabetes differs from other populations. We found a paucity of data regarding the incidence of hypoglycemia in Southeast Asia, which has contributed to the adoption of Western guidelines. This might not be appropriate, as Southeast Asians have a range of etiological, educational and cultural differences from Western populations with diabetes that might place them at greater risk of hypoglycemia if not managed optimally. For example, Southeast Asians with type 2 diabetes tend to be younger, with lower body mass indexes than their Western counterparts, and the management of type 2 diabetes with premixed insulin preparations is more common in Southeast Asia. Both of these factors might result in higher rates of hypoglycemia. In addition, Southeast Asians are often poorly educated about hypoglycemia and its management, including during Ramadan fasting. We conclude there is a need for more information about Southeast Asian populations with diabetes to assist with the construction of more appropriate national and regional guidelines for the management of hypoglycemia, more closely aligned to patient demographics, behaviors and treatment practices. Such bespoke guidelines might result in a greater degree of implementation and adherence within clinical practice in Southeast Asian nations.

A structured review of chronic care model components supporting transition between healthcare service delivery types for older people with multiple chronic diseases

OBJECTIVE

Older people with chronic diseases often have complex and interacting needs and require treatment and care from a wide range of professionals and services concurrently. This structured review will identify the components of the chronic care model (CCM) required to support healthcare that transitions seamlessly between hospital and ambulatory settings for people over 65 years of age who have two or more chronic diseases.

METHOD

A structured review was conducted by searching six electronic databases combining the terms 'hospital', 'ambulatory', 'elderly', 'chronic disease' and 'integration/seamless'. Four articles meeting the inclusion criteria were included in the review. Study setting, objectives, design, population, intervention, CCM components, outcomes and results were extracted and a process of descriptive synthesis applied.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

All four studies reported only using a few components of the CCM - such as clinical information sharing, community linkages and supported self-management - to create an integrated health system. The implementation of these components in a health service seemed to improve the seamless transition between hospital and ambulatory settings, health outcomes and patient experiences. Further research is required to explore the effect of implementing all CCM components to support transition of care between hospital and ambulatory services.

WITHDRAWN: Group based diabetes self-management education compared to routine treatment, waiting list control or no intervention for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus

The review authors of this review update are unable to continue with their work. The Cochrane Metabolic and Endocrine Disorders Review Group is seeking very experienced new authors to perform an update on this complex intervention review.

At June 2015, this review has been withdrawn. This review is out of date although it is correct as the date of publication. The latest version is available in the 'Other versions' tab on the Cochrane Library, and may still be useful to readers.

The editorial group responsible for this previously published document have withdrawn it from publication.

Comparison of National/Regional Diabetes Guidelines for the Management of Blood Glucose Control in non-Western Countries

INTRODUCTION

Development of higher standards for diabetes care is a core element of coping with the global diabetes epidemic. Diabetes guidelines are part of the approach to raising standards. The epidemic is greatest in countries with recent rises in income from a low base. The objective of the current study was to investigate the availability and nature of locally produced diabetes guidelines in such countries.

METHODS

Searches were conducted using Medline, Google, and health ministry and diabetes association websites.

RESULTS

Guidelines were identified in 33 of 75 countries outside North America, western Europe, and Australasia. In 25 of these 33 countries, management strategies for type 1 diabetes were included. National guidelines relied heavily on pre-existing national and international guidelines, with reference to American Diabetes Association standards of medical care and/or other consensus statements by 55%, International Diabetes Federation by 36%, European Association for the Study of Diabetes by 12%, and American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists by 9%. The identified guidelines were generally evidence-based, though there was some use of secondary evidence reviews, including other guidelines, rather than original literature reviews and evidence synthesis. In type 1 diabetes guidelines, the option of different insulin regimens (mostly meal-time + basal or premix regimens) was recommended depending on patient need. Type 2 diabetes guidelines either recommended a glycosylated hemoglobin target of <7.0% (<53 mmol/mol) (70% of guidelines) or <6.5% (<47 mmol/mol) (30% of guidelines) as the ideal glycemic target. Most guidelines recommended a target fasting plasma glucose that fell within the range of 3.8-7.2 mmol/L. Most guidelines also set a 2-h post-prandial glucose target value within the range of 4.0-8.3 mmol/L.

CONCLUSION

While only a first step in achieving a high quality of disease management, national guidelines of quality and with fair consistency of recommendations are becoming prevalent globally. A further challenge is implementation of guidelines, by integration into local care processes.

Diabetes knowledge and glycemic control among Chinese people with type 2 diabetes

BACKGROUND

Diabetes self-management education (DSME) is a key component of effective glycemic control and an important part of clinical diabetes management. The effects of DSME in China have not been investigated.

OBJECTIVES

To identify factors that could enhance the quality of Chinese DSME programmes. The relationship between patients' diabetes knowledge and their glycemic control was explored.

METHODS

A non-experimental cross-sectional study was undertaken in a large Shanghai hospital in China. Forty inpatients and 60 outpatients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were recruited. A Chinese version of the Diabetes Knowledge Scale was used to assess subjects' diabetes knowledge and collect demographic data and HbA1c levels.

RESULTS

The mean diabetes knowledge scores among Chinese with type 2 diabetes was 22.1 +/- 3.76 out of a possible 30 marks. There was no difference in overall diabetes knowledge in people with HbA1c <7%, indicating good control and those with HbA1c >or=7%, indicating suboptimal glycemic control (t = -0.811, P = 0.419). However, there were differences in scores between the two groups for some specific questions on sick day management and food substitution. Moreover, sociodemographic characteristics such as age and occupation were significantly correlated with diabetes knowledge; age was negatively correlated with diabetes knowledge and white-collar workers had the highest mean knowledge score and housewives the lowest.

CONCLUSION

Sociodemographic characteristics need to be considered when developing diabetes self-management programmes for Chinese people with type 2 diabetes.

Implementing a Multidisease Chronic Care Model in Primary Care Using People and Technology

Management of chronic disease is performed inadequately in the United States in spite of the availability of beneficial, effective therapies. Successful programs to manage patients with these diseases must overcome multiple challenges, including the recognized fragmentation and complexity of the healthcare system, misaligned incentives, a focus on acute problems, and a lack of team-based care. In many successful programs, care is provided in settings or episodes that focus on a single disease. While these programs may allow for streamlined, focused provision of care, comprehensive care for multiple diseases may be more difficult. At Intermountain Healthcare (Intermountain), a generalist model of chronic disease management was formulated to overcome the limitations associated with specialization. In the Intermountain approach, which reflects elements of the Chronic Care Model (CCM), care managers located within multipayer primary care clinics collaborate with physicians, patients, and other members of a primary care team to improve patient outcomes for a variety of conditions. An important part of the intervention is widespread use of an electronic health record (EHR). This EHR provides flexible access to clinical data, individualized decision support designed to encourage best practice for patients with a variety of diseases (including co-occurring ones), and convenient communication between providers. This generalized model is used to treat diverse patients with disparate and coexisting chronic conditions. Early results from the application of this model show improved patient outcomes and improved physician productivity. Success factors, challenges, and obstacles in implementing the model are discussed.

Group based training for self-management strategies in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND

It has been recognised that adoption of self-management skills by the person with diabetes is necessary in order to manage their diabetes. However, the most effective method for delivering education and teaching self-management skills is unclear.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effects of group-based, patient-centred training on clinical, lifestyle and psychosocial outcomes in people with type 2 diabetes.

SEARCH STRATEGY

Studies were obtained from computerised searches of multiple electronic bibliographic databases, supplemented by hand searches of reference lists of articles, conference proceedings and consultation with experts in the field. Date of last search was February 2003.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled and controlled clinical trials which evaluated group-based education programmes for adults with type 2 diabetes compared with routine treatment, waiting list control or no intervention. Studies were only included if the length of follow-up was six months or more and the intervention was at least one session with the minimum of six participants.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed study quality. A meta-analysis was performed if there were enough homogeneous studies reporting an outcome at either four to six months, 12-14 months, or two years, otherwise the studies were summarised in a descriptive manner.

MAIN RESULTS

Fourteen publications describing 11 studies were included involving 1532 participants. The results of the meta-analyses in favour of group-based diabetes education programmes were reduced glycated haemoglobin at four to six months (1.4%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.8 to 1.9; P < 0.00001), at 12-14 months (0.8%; 95% CI 0.7 to 1.0; P < 0.00001) and two years (1.0%; 95% CI 0.5 to 1.4; P < 0.00001); reduced fasting blood glucose levels at 12 months (1.2 mmol/L; 95% CI 0.7 to 1.6; P < 0.00001); reduced body weight at 12-14 months (1.6 Kg; 95% CI 0.3 to 3.0; P = 0.02); improved diabetes knowledge at 12-14 months (SMD 1.0; 95% CI 0.7 to 1.2; P < 0.00001) and reduced systolic blood pressure at four to six months (5 mmHg: 95% CI 1 to 10; P = 0.01). There was also a reduced need for diabetes medication (odds ratio 11.8, 95% CI 5.2 to 26.9; P < 0.00001; RD = 0.2; NNT = 5). Therefore, for every five patients attending a group-based education programme we could expect one patient to reduce diabetes medication.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Group-based training for self-management strategies in people with type 2 diabetes is effective by improving fasting blood glucose levels, glycated haemoglobin and diabetes knowledge and reducing systolic blood pressure levels, body weight and the requirement for diabetes medication.

Blood glucose and risk of cardiovascular disease in the Asia Pacific region

OBJECTIVE

To assess the shape and strength of the association between usual blood glucose and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Asian and Australasian cohorts and to determine the impact of adjusting for other determinants of CVD risk and excluding people with diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Relative risk estimates and 95% CIs were calculated from Cox models, stratified by sex and cohort, and adjusted for age at risk on individual participant data from 17 cohort studies. Repeat measurements of blood glucose were used to adjust for regression dilution bias.

RESULTS

Fasting blood glucose data were available for 237,468 participants, and during approximately 1.2 million person-years of follow-up, there were 1,661 stroke and 816 ischemic heart disease (IHD) events. Data were also available on 27,996 participants with nonfasting glucose measurements. Continuous positive associations were demonstrated between usual fasting glucose and the risks of CVD down to at least 4.9 mmol/l. Overall, each 1 mmol/l lower usual fasting glucose was associated with a 21% (95% CI 18-24%) lower risk of total stroke and a 23% (19-27%) lower risk of total IHD. The associations were similar in men and women, across age-groups, and in Asian compared with Australasian (Australia and New Zealand) populations. Adjusting for potential confounders or removing those with diabetes as baseline did not substantially affect the associations. Associations for nonfasting glucose were weaker than those with fasting glucose.

CONCLUSIONS

Fasting blood glucose is an important determinant of CVD burden, with considerable potential benefit of usual blood glucose lowering down to levels of at least 4.9 mmol/l.