UISESS scale for staging and classifying clinical–epidemiological risk in type 2 diabetes mellitus and for establishing multidiscipinary preventive actions

Purpose The goal of this study is the creation and use of a five-stage scale for the description of the health status of a type 2 diabetes mellitus patient population, as individuals and as a set. The scale, named UISESS, ranges from the pre-pathological to the sequelae stage, and can help orient multidisciplinary prevention actions. Setting and sampling A sample of nondiabetics (n = 404), together with a census of all type 2 diabetic patients (n = 2,702) over 30 years of age, were obtained from a family medicine clinic of the Mexican Federal Social Security System (IMSS) in Guadalajara, Mexico. Design and method A descriptive study in which the Natural History of the Disease and an epidemiological focus on risk were used to create the UISESS scale. Case histories of a total of 3,106 persons from a family practice clinic were used. The data was classified in five stages and three risk control levels were used for analysis. Results In the type 2 diabetic group, the average age was 57.6 years; 58% were women. In the nondiabetic group, the average age was 55.38 years; 63% were women. The UISESS scale was applied. A large majority (86%) of the studied type 2 diabetic patients were classified within unfavorable stages for controlling their illness, and 65% of the 3,106 people were at high or very high risk of increasing deterioration of their health status. Conclusions The UISESS scale appears to be a useful tool to detect the distribution, evolution and control of type 2 diabetes in a population attended at the outpatient clinic of a family medicine unit, according to the Natural History of the Disease.