The benefits of dietitian-led community clinics for people with diabetes: Using audit to raise GP awareness
✍ Scribed by Pediani, L ;Bowie, P
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1999
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 387 KB
- Volume
- 16
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 1357-8170
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Abstract
Research has highlighted the importance of individual dietary advice for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes^1^. The purpose of this small study was to audit the impact of a recently established community‐based diabetes dietetic service by establishing both levels of awareness and rates of referral to the clinics by local general practitioners (GPs). Findings from an initial survey of 63 local GPs (71.4% response rate) revealed that 57.8% were aware of the service but only 55.6% had actually referred their diabetic patients to the clinics. Twenty (44.4%) GPs cited specific reasons for not referring to the clinic. These included a preference to use a practice nurse to dispense dietary advice (n=3) and opting for referral to the hospital diabetes clinic (n=11). However, no respondents indicated that they disapproved of this type of community‐based service. After implementing an action plan designed to raise both GP awareness of the service and the importance of dietary support and advice provided, the audit loop was closed by repeating the study six months after the initial survey. The repeat audit findings highlighted a significant increase in GP awareness of the service, rising from 57.8% to 94.0% (p<0.001) of respondents. Similarly, the number of GPs referring their diabetic patients increased from 55.6% to 76.0% (p<0.05). By identifying a specific problem with our service, we have used the audit process to evaluate and review our practices and so improve the level of shared care available to diabetic patients requiring diet therapy.