DIABETES REGISTERS - A GRASS-ROOTS APPROACH

Objectives-To compile a register of diabetic patients within the catch ment area of a district general hospital and evaluate the characterist ics of the population using aggregated data from a general practice au dit. Design-Cross sectional study. Practices identified all known diab etics and completed a questionnaire from information in each patient's medical record. Setting-Practices affiliated to a district audit grou p in south east England. Main outcome measures-Number of participating practices; prevalence of diabetes and its complications; and sex dist ribution of patients, age at diagnosis and review, treatment, and meta bolic control. Comparisons with similar data from other studies. Resul ts-41 out of 43 practices participated, and 2574 diabetic patients wer e identified (prevalence 1.18%). 52.4% of patients were male. The mean age was 61.6 years. 32% of patients were treated with insulin, 51.5% with oral hypoglycaemic agents, 16.5% with diet alone. The mean random blood glucose concentration was 10.4 mmol/l and glycosylated haemoglo bin 10.1%. 8% had proteinuria, 7% a history of myocardial infarction, 5% a history of stroke, and 2% a diabetes related amputation. These pr oportions were not significantly different from those found in studies performed by different methods in Poole, Islington, Powys, Trowbridge , and Southall. Conclusion-It is feasible to compile a register of dia betic patients in a district and evaluate their characteristics by usi ng only general practice sources.