Quality assessment of primary health care services provided for diabetes mellitus control in Alexandria

ABSTRACT

The present study was conducted aiming at assessment of the quality of primary health care [PHC] services provided for the control of diabetes mellitus [DM] in Alexandria; and opportunistic screening of high risk individuals attending PHC facilities for DM. Accordingly, the availability of human and non-human resources for DM control in two r h and two urban PHC centers in Alexandria [one of them was sewing a desert area] was assessed by a pre-designed checklist 920 adult PHC attendants were screened for risk factors of DM. Individuals having more than one of the following risk factors age above 50 years, overweight [body mass index >27 kg/m2], family history of DM in first degree relatives, history of hypertension, hypertension [systolic blood pressure >140 mm Hg and /or diastolic blood pressure >90 mm Hg], history of hyperlipidemia and history of gestational diabetes or birth of a large sized baby in females- were subjected to random capillary blood glucose [RCBG] testing. Cases were considered likely diabetic if RCBG was >200 mg/dl. The performance of all PHC physicians examining and managing 560 diabetic patients was observed over a period of two months. One fourth of the diabetic cases were checked for the level of glycaemic control by fasting capillary blood glucose testing