Does the employment of an on-site dietitian improve the uptake of dietetic care in general practice diabetes clinics?

✍ Scribed by Bradshaw, C

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1994
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 288 KB
• Volume: 11
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1357-8170
• DOI: 10.1002/pdi.1960110510

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The results of a controlled trial of providing up‐to‐date on‐site dietetic advice in primary health care diabetes clinics in a deprived FHSA area in the North of England are described. Performance of these practices are compared with similar practices who utilise the existing open access service in the district. The study was part of a continuing audit cycle involving all practices with diabetes clinics in the district. Data were collected over one month. In the 10 practices that had an on‐site dietitian, 191 patients were offered appointments. There was a 92% attendance rate; in the previous year 89% had a record of an HbA~1c~, 85% had a record of fundoscopy and 89% had seen the dietitian. By contrast, in the six practices who had open access to a centrally‐based dietitian, 81 patients were offered an appointment, there was a 70% attendance rate (p<0.001), 74% had a record of an HbA~1c~ (p<0.001), and 84% had a record of fundoscopy. Only 52% of this group had seen the dietitian (p <0.001). There was no significant difference in the HbA~1c~ level as a percentage of Hb in either group.

It is concluded that there is an association between the placing of a dietitian in general practice diabetes clinics and an improvement in the uptake of dietetic advice.