Diabetes mellitus in Irish general practice: Level of care as reflected by HbA_1c values

Figures & data

Table I.  The numbers of persons with diabetes from the different socio-economic groups studied.

2002 SAHRU deprivation index		Patients’ type of diabetes
1 = least deprived; 10 = most deprived		Type 1	Type 2	Total
1	Count	37	96	133
	% within patients’ type of diabetes	19.7%	12.1%	13.6%
2	Count	12	35	47
	% within patients’ type of diabetes	6.4%	4.4%	4.8%
3	Count	4	31	35
	% within patients’ type of diabetes	2.1%	3.9%	3.6%
4	Count	7	30	37
	% within patients’ type of diabetes	3.7%	3.8%	3.8%
5	Count	13	40	53
	% within patients’ type of diabetes	6.9%	5.0%	5.4%
6	Count	12	60	72
	% within patients’ type of diabetes	6.4%	7.6%	7.3%
7	Count	23	73	96
	% within patients’ type of diabetes	12.2%	9.2%	9.8%
8	Count	14	134	148
	% within patients’ type of diabetes	7.4%	16.9%	15.1%
9	Count	38	152	190
	% within patients’ type of diabetes	20.2%	19.2%	19.4%
10	Count	28	142	170
	% within patients’ type of diabetes	14.9%	17.9%	17.3%
Total	Count	188	793	981
	% within patients’ type of diabetes	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%

Table II.  Comparison of practice characteristics of responders, non-responders and national figures (12,14).

Practice factor	National figure (%)	Responders (%)	Non-responders (%)
Secretary	100	96	100
Nurse	90	81	56
Non-computerized	28	19	8
Partially computerized	17	59	24
Fully computerized	55	22	68
Group	40	30	64
Single-handed	60	74	36
Urban	33	48	76
Rural	66	52	24

Figure 1.  Number of times HbA_1c values were measured for higher (less deprived, SAHRU index 1–5) and lower (more deprived, SAHRU index 6–10) socio-economic groups.

Table III.  Multiple regression results showing significant variables.

	Non-standardized coefficients		Standardized coefficients
Model 1	B	SE	Beta	t	Sig.
(Constant)	3.476	0.572		6.079	0.000
Practice	3.241×10^–2	0.009	0.112	3.588	0.000
Patient's sex	−0.432	0.146	−0.091	−2.958	0.003
Computer	−0.641	0.215	−0.096	−2.986	0.003
Shared care	0.479	0.155	0.101	3.101	0.002
Diabetes care	−0.929	0.158	−0.198	−5.865	0.000
Practice nurse	1.112	0.227	0.159	4.888	0.000
Age	9.294×10^−3	0.004	0.066	2.114	0.035

Dependent variable: HbA_1c, number of times measured.

Figure 2.  Average HbA_1c values by socio-economic group. Less deprived: SAHRU index 1–5; more deprived: SAHRU index 6–10.

Table IV.  Multiple regression results showing significant variables.

	Non-standardized coefficients	Standardized coefficients
Model 1	B	SE	Beta	t	Sig.
(Constant)	6.941	0.350		19.844	0.000
Computer	−0.567	0.167	−0.135	−3.392	0.001
Shared care	0.395	0.107	0.132	3.676	0.000
Diabetes care	0.399	0.106	0.134	3.752	0.000
Age	−1.51×10^−2	0.003	−0.163	−4.769	0.000
Group/single practice	0.520	0.133	0.153	3.902	0.000

Dependent variable: HbA_1c average.

Table

Pt id	Type	HbA1c	HbA1c	Share care	M card	St benefit	Address	Smoker	Where dx	Stage	Smoker
Yob/sex	1 or 2	no.	average	y/n	y/n/o	y/n		y/n	Pract/other	0 or 1	y/n