Grant: Partnerships for Health System Improvement (PHSI)

Obesity, physical inactivity and an aging population have contributed to an epidemic of diabetes. Diabetes affects 5-10% of Canadians and predisposes them to other illnesses including kidney failure, heart attack, and stroke. To help physicians manage chronic diseases like diabetes, in 2005, Alberta Health & Wellness established Primary Care Networks (PCNs). A PCN is a group of local family physicians whose aim is to improve quality of care and access to care, particularly for patients with chronic diseases like diabetes. In PCNs, physicians work closely with allied health care workers (nurses, dieticians, pharmacists) to improve patient care using additional non-fee-for-service resources. Currently, nearly 60% of Albertans are cared for within PCNs. However, a decision to continue PCNs, or to expand or refine their model of care will be taken by Alberta Health and Wellness and Alberta Health Services in 2011. To inform this decision, we propose to determine the impact of PCNs on the care and outcomes of patients with diabetes. This project will be conducted by the Interdisciplinary Chronic Disease Collaboration (ICDC), a multidisciplinary group of researchers whose overall objective is to improve management of patients with chronic diseases including diabetes. The ICDC maintains a database of laboratory and administrative health data for all patients with diabetes in Alberta. This will be used to determine the impact of PCNs on the care and outcomes for patients with diabetes. Specifically, we will examine details of hospitalizations for patients with diabetes, frequency of blood sugar testing and target ranges, prescribed medications, the frequency of physician visits and health care costs. We will also determine whether there are differences in the types of patients with diabetes who are cared for within or outside of PCNs.