Quality improvement of diabetes care using flow sheets in family health practice

Objectives: To show that the use of a flow sheet would improve performance of family physicians in diabetes care. Methods: This is a one-year intervention study conducted in 7 family practice clinics in Taif Armed Forces Hospitals, Taif, Saudi Arabia from March 2006 to June 2007. Diabetic flow sheet was developed based on the clinical practice guidelines of Canada for the management of type 2 diabetes. Patients’ records were selected by systematic random sampling technique. Results: Four hundred and fourteen medical records of patients with type 2 diabetes were included in the study. Compliance with the quality indicators was audited using 9 quality improvement indicators. Significant improvement was detected in the indicators of body mass index, glycosylated hemoglobin, microalbuminuria, lipid profile, retinoscopy, foot examination, and peripheral neuropathy examination. Conclusion: Flow sheet can be effective in improving quality of care not only for diabetes but also for other chronic conditions.