Patient characteristics predicting failure to receive indicated care for type 2 diabetes

AIMS:

To determine which patient characteristics were associated with failure to receive indicated care for diabetes over time.

METHODS:

English Longitudinal Study of Ageing participants aged 50 or older with diabetes reported receipt of care described by four diabetes quality indicators (QIs) in 2008-9 and 2010-11. Annual checks for glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), proteinuria and foot examination were assessed as a care bundle (n=907). A further QI (n=759) assessed whether participants with cardiac risk factors were offered ACE inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs). Logistic regression modelled associations between failure to receive indicated care in 2010-11 and participants' socio-demographic, lifestyle and health characteristics, diabetes self-management knowledge, health literacy, and previous QI achievement in 2008-9.

RESULTS:

A third of participants (2008-9=32.8%; 2010-11=32.2%) did not receive all annual checks in the care bundle. Nearly half of those eligible were not offered ACE inhibitors/ARBs (2008-9=44.6%; 2010-11=44.5%). Failure to receive a complete care bundle was associated with lower diabetes self-management knowledge (odds ratio (OR) 2.05), poorer cognitive performance (1.78), or having previously received incomplete care (3.32). Participants who were single (OR=2.16), had low health literacy (1.50) or had received incomplete care previously (6.94) were more likely to not be offered ACE inhibitors/ARBs. Increasing age (OR=0.76) or body mass index (OR=0.70) was associated with lower odds of failing to receive this aspect of care.

CONCLUSIONS:

Quality improvement initiatives for diabetes might usefully target patients with previous receipt of incomplete care, poor knowledge of annual diabetes care processes, and poorer cognition and health literacy.