RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Who cares for the patient with diabetes? Presentation and follow-up in seven Southampton practices
JF The Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
JO J R Coll Gen Pract
FD British Journal of General Practice
SP 65
OP 69
VO 37
IS 295
A1 P.J. Burrows
A1 P.J. Gray
A1 A-L. Kinmonth
A1 D.J. Payton
A1 G.A. Walpole
A1 R.J. Walton
A1 D. Wilson
A1 G. Woodbine
YR 1987
UL http://bjgp.org/content/37/295/65.abstract
AB A notes survey was undertaken by a group of eight general practitioners in seven Southampton practices to study the mode of presentation and follow-up of the diabetic patients on the lists of 24 doctors. The 431 known diabetic patients were classified as non-insulin-dependent (67%), insulin-dependent (20%), or, if they had commenced their insulin more than a month after the diagnosis had been made, 'insulin-treated' (13%). This classification allowed characterization of the truly insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent patients. Non-insulin-dependent diabetics were older than insulin-dependent diabetics and had first presented at a greater age. Most patients in each treatment group presented with classical diabetic symptoms, diabetes-related infections, or recognized complications. The majority of these were diagnosed in general practice. However, over half of the asymptomatic non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients had been diagnosed by routine blood or urine testing in hospital. After 1979 fewer non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients were referred to hospital for follow-up at diagnosis than before 1975. Most non-insulin-treated diabetics were followed up in general practice whereas most patients treated with or dependent on insulin were followed up in hospital clinics. Twenty-two per cent of all patients received diabetic care from both their general practitioner and hospital outpatient departments but 20% received no regular diabetic follow-up at all. One year after the initial study, 4% of patients were still without regular review, and 27 more patients had been identified who would have qualified for the original audit.