COMBINING 3 DIFFERENT SOURCES AS A VALID TOOL TO IDENTIFY KNOWN DIABETIC-PATIENTS - USE IN A PREVALENCE STUDY IN AN ITALIAN LOCAL HEALTH UNIT

This study was carried out to validate the prevalence of known diabete s estimated from three different simultaneous sources (medical records from out-patient departments, registers and pharmaceutical prescripti ons) as against the diagnosis of family doctors who had received ad ho c training before the study. To this effect, a selected Local Health U nit (Unita Sanitaria Locale or USL) in Bari, southern Italy, was exami ned. 2917 diabetic patients were found, with a 2.82 % prevalence. The prevalence of known diabetes estimated from separate sources was 1.41 % from medical records, 1.52 % from the registers and 1.59 % from pres criptions. With reference to the family doctor's conclusions, sensitiv ity, positive predictive value and efficiency df medical records were 49.8 %, 92,5 % and 57,4 % of USL registers 53.8 %, 95.6 % and 61.8 % o f prescriptions 56.3 %, 71.2 % and 47.9 %. 46 % of the diabetic subjec ts were only identified from one source. In conclusion; by combining s everal sources of information together, a higher number of diabetic pa tients are identified than would be done by using separate sources; al so, active cooperation from the family practitioners seems to be neede d to correct the large number of false positive patients (n = 798) mos tly identified from prescriptions.