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Diabetes Collaborative Registry highlights real-world clinical management of patients with diabetes
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NEW ORLEANS — Clinicians who submit data to the Diabetes Collaborative Registry regularly adhere to four of seven quality metrics when treating patients with diabetes, according to the first presented results from the registry.
The Diabetes Collaborative Registry was launched in 2014 to bring together data on how patients with diabetes are managed in real-world clinical settings. The registry is an interdisciplinary effort led by the American College of Cardiology in partnership with the American Diabetes Association, American College of Physicians, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and Joslin Diabetes Center, according to a press release.
At the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions, Suzanne V. Arnold, MD, MHA, of Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute and the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and colleagues presented the first data from the registry. The researchers analyzed adherence to seven quality diabetes metrics at 236 endocrinology, primary care and multispecialty practices. The total population comprised more than 861,000 patients.
According to the findings, practices checked if patients are on high blood pressure medication 73% of the time; checked if patients had a BP less than 140/90 mmHg and were prescribed at least two antihypertensive medications 89% of the time; screened for nephropathy 70% of the time; and screened for smoking and counseling smokers to quit 85% of the time.
Mikhail N. Kosiborod
Practices checked for blood glucose levels only 20% of the time, performed eye exams 11% of the time and performed foot exams 1.2% of the time. Analysis of available HbA1c data revealed that the average rate of HbA1c 9% or less was 67.8% across all sites.
In addition, baseline data from the registry showed a high burden of cardiovascular risk factors and complications among patients with diabetes, according to a press release issued by the ACC.
Lack of documentation, gaps in care or a combination of these factors may reflect the low rates of performance on some of these measures. Moreover, a majority of patients in the initial registry cohort were managed by cardiology providers, who typically would not conduct a blood glucose test or eye and foot exams, according to the release.
These findings indicate opportunities for providers to improve chronic disease management for patients with diabetes. The researchers noted that diabetes care will likely evolve as additional specialty sites and primary care centers continue to join the registry.
Since the launch in 2014, the patient cohort has increased to 1 million, according to the release.
“Highlighting variability in diabetes care is one of the key objectives of the registry,” Mikhail N. Kosiborod, MD, FACC, cardiologist and professor of medicine at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute and steering committee chair of the Diabetes Collaborative Registry, stated in the release. “Our hope is that over time the lessons we learn will foster more of a team-based approach to diabetes management, which may ultimately result in better quality and outcomes for patients with diabetes.” – by Katie Kalvaitis
References:
Arnold SV, et al. 1270-P. Presented at: American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions; June 10-14, 2016; New Orleans.
The Diabetes Collaborative Registry. www.ncdr.com/WebNCDR/Diabetes/publicpage.
Disclosure: AstraZeneca is the founding industry sponsor of the Diabetes Collaborative Registry. Boehringer Ingelheim is also a sponsor of the registry. Arnold reports no relevant financial disclosures. Kosiborod reports consulting for Amgen, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly and Company, GlaxoSmithKline, Glytec, Sanofi, Takeda and ZS Pharma; receiving research support from Amgen, AstraZeneca, Genentech, Gilead Sciences, Sanofi and ZS Pharma; and serving on a speaker’s bureau for Amgen.