Substantial HbA1c Reduction Following Intermittent-Scanning Continuous Glucose Monitoring Was Not Associated With Early Worsening of Retinopathy in Type 1 Diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Early worsening of diabetic retinopathy (EWDR) was observed in the intensively treated arm of the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) before long-term benefits accrued. We sought to assess whether there may be an increased risk of EWDR in high-risk individuals following intermittent-scanning continuous glucose monitoring (iscCGM) commencement. METHODS: An observational study of 139 individuals with type 1 diabetes ≥5 years duration and with baseline HbA1c >75 mmol/mol (9.0%). This cohort was stratified by subsequent HbA1c response to iscCGM (best responders and non-responders). Pan-retinal photocoagulation (PRP), worsening retinopathy status and new development of retinopathy were compared between groups. RESULTS: HbA1c change was -23 mmol/mol (IQR -32 to -19) (-2.1% [-2.9 to -1.8]) in responders and +6 mmol/mol (2-12) (+0.6 [0.2-1.1]) in non-responders (P < .001). There was no difference in subsequent PRP between responders (14.1%) and non-responders (10.3%, P = .340). Baseline HbA1c (HR 1.052 per mmol/mol, P = .002) but not response category (HR 1.244, P = .664) was independently associated with the risk of requiring PRP. Worsening of retinopathy was not different between responders (16.9%) and non-responders (20.6%, P = .577), and the same was true with respect to new development of retinopathy (33.3% vs 31.8%, P = .919). CONCLUSIONS: In a cohort enriched for risk of diabetic retinopathy, reduction in HbA1c did not result in an increased risk of PRP, worsening retinopathy, or new development of retinopathy. These findings offer reassurance that substantial reduction in HbA1c is not independently associated with early worsening of diabetic eye disease in iscCGM users.

Assessment of the effect of the COVID-19 lockdown on glycaemic control in people with type 1 diabetes using flash glucose monitoring.

AIM: To describe the effect of the stringent lockdown measures, introduced in the UK on 23 March 2020 to curtail the transmission of COVID-19, on glycaemic control in people with type 1 diabetes using flash glucose monitoring. METHODS: We undertook an observational study of 572 individuals with type 1 diabetes for whom paired flash glucose monitoring data were available between early March and May 2020. The primary outcome was change in flash glucose monitoring variables. We also assessed clinical variables associated with change in glycaemic control. RESULTS: Percentage of time in range increased between March and May 2020 [median (interquartile range) 53 (41-64)% vs 56 (45-68)%; P < 0.001], with associated improvements in standard deviation of glucose (P <0.001) and estimated HbA1c (P <0.001). There was a small reduction in the number of individuals meeting the hypoglycaemia target of <5% per day (64% vs 58%; P = 0.004). Comparing changes in flash glucose monitoring data from March to May in 2019 with the same period in 2020 confirmed that these differences were confined to 2020. Socio-economic deprivation was an independent predictor of a ≥5% reduction in time in range during lockdown (odds ratio 0.45 for people in the two most affluent Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation quintiles; P <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Lockdown was not associated with a significant deterioration in glycaemic control in people with type 1 diabetes using flash glucose monitoring. However, socio-economic deprivation appeared to increase the risk of decline in glycaemic control, which has implications for how support is focused in challenging times.

Socio-economic differences in cardiovascular disease risk factor prevalence in people with type 2 diabetes in Scotland: a cross-sectional study.

AIM: To describe the association between socio-economic status and prevalence of key cardiovascular risk factors in people with type 2 diabetes in Scotland. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 264 011 people with type 2 diabetes in Scotland in 2016 identified from the population-based diabetes register. Socio-economic status was defined using quintiles of the area-based Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) with quintile (Q)1 and Q5 used to identify the most- and least-deprived fifths of the population, respectively. Logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, health board, history of cardiovascular disease and duration of diabetes were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for Q1 compared with Q5 for each risk factor. RESULTS: The mean (sd) age of the study population was 66.7 (12.8) years, 56% were men, 24% were in Q1 and 15% were in Q5. Crude prevalence in Q1/Q5 was 24%/8.8% for smoking, 62%/49% for BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 , 44%/40% for HbA1c ≥ 58 mmol/mol (7.5%), 31%/31% for systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥ 140 mmHg, and 24%/25% for total cholesterol ≥ 5 mmol/l, respectively. ORs [95% confidence intervals (CI)] were 3.08 (2.95-3.21) for current smoking, 1.48 (1.44-1.52) for BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 , 1.11 (1.08-1.15) for HbA1c ≥ 58 mmol/mol (7.5%), 1.03 (1.00-1.06) for SBP ≥ 140 mmHg and 0.87 (0.84-0.90) for total cholesterol ≥ 5 mmol/l. CONCLUSIONS: Socio-economic deprivation is associated with higher prevalence of smoking, BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 and HbA1c ≥ 58 mmol/mol (7.5%), and lower prevalence of total cholesterol ≥ 5 mmol/l among people with type 2 diabetes in Scotland. Effective approaches to reducing inequalities are required as well as reducing risk factor prevalence across the whole population.

The effect of DAFNE education, continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion, or both in a population with type 1 diabetes in Scotland.

AIM: To investigate the effect of DAFNE and continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion in clinical practice. METHODS: Within NHS Lothian, continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion started in 2004 and DAFNE education began in 2006. We extracted anonymized data from the national database for all those aged > 18 years with type 1 diabetes having a Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating course or continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion start date (n = 4617). RESULTS: In total, 956 persons received DAFNE education, and 505 had received an insulin pump, 208 of whom had DAFNE education followed by insulin pump. Mean (SD) HbA1c before DAFNE education was 68 (15) mmol/mol (8.4% [1.4%]) and 66 (13) mmol/mol (8.2% [1.2%]) before continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion. In the year following DAFNE education, the mean fall in within-person HbA1c was 3.8 mmol/mol (95% CI 4.0 to 3.4; 0.3% [0.4% to 0.3%]). Those with the poorest control (HbA1c ≥ 85 mmol/mol [9.9%]) experienced the largest decline (15.7 mmol/mol [1.4%]). Those in the lowest HbA1c band at initiation (< 53 mmol/mmol [7.0%]) experienced a rise. In the year following continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion initiation there was a mean fall in within-person HbA1c of 6.6 mmol/mol (6.8 to 6.4; 0.6% [0.6% to 0.6%]). In those with the poorest control (HbA1c ≥ 85 mmol/mol [9.9%]), the mean fall in HbA1c was 22.2 mmol/mol (23 to 21; 2.0% [2.1% to 1.9%]). Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion effectiveness was not different with or without DAFNE education. The effects of both interventions were sustained over 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: Both DAFNE education and insulin pump therapy had the greatest effect on HbA1c in those with higher baseline values. There was little difference to attained HbA1c when Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating education was introduced before insulin pump therapy.

Glycaemic control of Type 1 diabetes in clinical practice early in the 21st century: an international comparison.

AIMS: Improving glycaemic control in people with Type 1 diabetes is known to reduce complications. Our aim was to compare glycaemic control among people with Type 1 diabetes using data gathered in regional or national registries. METHODS: Data were obtained for children and/or adults with Type 1 diabetes from the following countries (or regions): Western Australia, Austria, Denmark, England, Champagne-Ardenne (France), Germany, Epirus, Thessaly and Thessaloniki (Greece), Galway (Ireland), several Italian regions, Latvia, Rotterdam (The Netherlands), Otago (New Zealand), Norway, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, Volyn (Ukraine), USA and Wales) from population or clinic-based registries. The sample size with available data varied from 355 to 173 880. Proportions with HbA1c < 58 mmol/mol (< 7.5%) and ≥ 75 mmol/mol (≥ 9.0%) were compared by age and sex. RESULTS: Data were available for 324 501 people. The proportions with HbA1c 58 mmol/mol (< 7.5%) varied from 15.7% to 46.4% among 44 058 people aged < 15 years, from 8.9% to 49.5% among 50 766 people aged 15-24 years and from 20.5% to 53.6% among 229 677 people aged ≥ 25 years. Sex differences in glycaemic control were small. Proportions of people using insulin pumps varied between the 12 sources with data available. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that there are substantial variations in glycaemic control among people with Type 1 diabetes between the data sources and that there is room for improvement in all populations, especially in young adults.

Rates of referable eye disease in the Scottish National Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Programme.

AIMS: Diabetic retinopathy screening aims to detect people at risk of visual loss due to proliferative diabetic retinopathy, but also refers cases of suspected macular oedema (maculopathy). At the introduction of screening, ophthalmology was concerned that referral rates would be unmanageable. We report yield of referable disease by referral reason for the first 5 years of the programme. METHODS: We extracted screening results from a nationwide clinical diabetes database to calculate annual referral rates to ophthalmic clinics. We used logistic regression to examine associations between clinical measures and referable disease. RESULTS: 182 397 people underwent ≥ 1successful retinal screening between 2006 and 2010. The yield of referable eye disease was highest in the first 2 years of screening (7.0% and 6.0%) before stabilising at ∼4.3%. The majority of referrals are due to maculopathy with 73% of referrals in 2010 based on a finding of maculopathy. CONCLUSIONS: The commonest cause for referral is for suspected macular oedema (maculopathy). Referral rates for retinopathy have stabilised, as predicted, at relatively low rates. However, ophthalmology workload continues to rise as new treatment options (ie, monthly intraocular injections) have unexpectedly increased the impact on ophthalmology. A review of the screening referral path for maculopathy may be timely.

Factors associated with statin treatment for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in people within 2 years following diagnosis of diabetes in Scotland, 2006-2008.

AIM: To describe characteristics associated with statin prescribing for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in people with newly diagnosed diabetes. METHODS: Data from the Scottish Care Information-Diabetes Collaboration data set for 2006-2008 were used. This data set contains socio-demographic and prescribing data for over 99% of people with diagnosed diabetes in Scotland. Analyses were conducted on people aged over 40 years diagnosed with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes between 2006 and 2008 with complete data and no previous history of cardiovascular or statin prescription. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios for statin prescription in the 2 years following diagnosis of diabetes. RESULTS: There were 7157 men and 5601 women who met the inclusion criteria, 68% of whom had a statin prescription recorded in the 2 years following diagnosis of diabetes. The proportions receiving statins were lower above 65 years of age in men and 75 years of age in women. People with Type 1 diabetes had lower odds of receiving statins than people with Type 2 diabetes [odds ratio (95% CI) 0.42 (0.29-0.61) for men and 0.48 (0.28-0.81) for women, after adjustment for age, BMI, smoking status, cholesterol level and deprivation]. Higher total cholesterol, BMI and being a current smoker were associated with greater odds of statin prescription. CONCLUSION: Approximately one third of the study population had no record of statin prescription during the 2 years after diagnosis of diabetes. Cardiovascular disease risk reduction opportunities may be missed in some of these people.

Predicted impact of extending the screening interval for diabetic retinopathy: the Scottish Diabetic Retinopathy Screening programme.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The aim of our study was to identify subgroups of patients attending the Scottish Diabetic Retinopathy Screening (DRS) programme who might safely move from annual to two yearly retinopathy screening. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of screening data from the DRS programme collected between 2005 and 2011 for people aged ≥12 years with type 1 or type 2 diabetes in Scotland. We used hidden Markov models to calculate the probabilities of transitions to referable diabetic retinopathy (referable background or proliferative retinopathy) or referable maculopathy. RESULTS: The study included 155,114 individuals with no referable diabetic retinopathy or maculopathy at their first DRS examination and with one or more further DRS examinations. There were 11,275 incident cases of referable diabetic eye disease (9,204 referable maculopathy, 2,071 referable background or proliferative retinopathy). The observed transitions to referable background or proliferative retinopathy were lower for people with no visible retinopathy vs mild background retinopathy at their prior examination (respectively, 1.2% vs 8.1% for type 1 diabetes and 0.6% vs 5.1% for type 2 diabetes). The lowest probability for transitioning to referable background or proliferative retinopathy was among people with two consecutive screens showing no visible retinopathy, where the probability was <0.3% for type 1 and <0.2% for type 2 diabetes at 2 years. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Transition rates to referable diabetic eye disease were lowest among people with type 2 diabetes and two consecutive screens showing no visible retinopathy. If such people had been offered two yearly screening the DRS service would have needed to screen 40% fewer people in 2009.

Type 2 diabetes, socioeconomic status and risk of cancer in Scotland 2001-2007.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The objective of this study was to use Scottish national data to assess the influence of type 2 diabetes on the risk of cancer at 16 different sites, while specifically investigating the role of confounding by socioeconomic status in the diabetes-cancer relationship. METHODS: All people in Scotland aged 55-79 years diagnosed with any of the cancers of interest during the period 2001-2007 were identified and classified by the presence/absence of co-morbid type 2 diabetes. The influence of diabetes on cancer risk for each site was assessed via Poisson regression, initially with adjustment for age only, then adjusted for both age and socioeconomic status. RESULTS: There were 4,285 incident cancers in people with type 2 diabetes. RR for any cancers (adjusted for age only) was 1.11 (95% CI 1.05, 1.17) for men and 1.33 (1.28, 1.40) for women. Corresponding values after additional adjustment for socioeconomic status were 1.10 (1.04, 1.15) and 1.31 (1.25, 1.38), respectively. RRs for individual cancer sites varied markedly. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Socioeconomic status was found to have little influence on the association between type 2 diabetes and cancer.

External validity of randomized controlled trials of glycaemic control and vascular disease: how representative are participants?

AIMS: To describe the proportion of people with Type 2 diabetes living in Scotland who meet eligibility criteria for inclusion in several large randomized controlled trials of glycaemic control to inform physicians and guideline developers about the generalizibility of trial results. METHODS: A literature review was performed to identify large trials assessing the impact of glycaemic control on risk of macrovascular disease. Inclusion and exclusion criteria from each trial were applied to data on the population of people with a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes living in Scotland in 2008 (n = 180,590) in a population-based cross-sectional study and the number and proportion of people eligible for each trial was determined. RESULTS: Seven trials were identified. The proportion of people with Type 2 diabetes who met the eligibility criteria for the trials ranged from 3.5 to 50.7%. Trial participants were younger at age of diagnosis of diabetes and at time of trial recruitment than in the Scottish study population. The application of upper age criteria excluded the largest proportion of patients, with up to 39% of people with Type 2 diabetes ineligible for a trial with the most stringent criteria based on age alone. CONCLUSIONS: We found that many of the large trials of glycaemic control among people with Type 2 diabetes have limited external validity when applied to a population-based cohort of people with Type 2 diabetes. In particular, the age distribution of trial participants often does not reflect that of people with Type 2 diabetes in a contemporary British population.

Area-based socioeconomic status, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular mortality in Scotland.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The aim of this study was to explore the relationships between type 2 diabetes mellitus, area-based socioeconomic status (SES) and cardiovascular disease mortality in Scotland. METHODS: We used an area-based measure of SES, Scottish national diabetes register data linked to mortality records, and general population cause-specific mortality data to investigate the relationships between SES, type 2 diabetes and mortality from ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and cerebrovascular disease (CbVD), for 2001-2007. We used negative binomial regression to obtain age-adjusted RRs of mortality (by sex), comparing people with type 2 diabetes with the non-diabetic population. RESULTS: Among 216,652 people aged 40 years or older with type 2 diabetes (980,687 person-years), there were 10,554 IHD deaths and 4,378 CbVD deaths. Age-standardised mortality increased with increasing deprivation, and was higher among men. IHD mortality RRs were highest among the least deprived quintile and lowest in the most deprived quintile (men: least deprived, RR 1.94 [95% CI 1.61, 2.33]; most deprived, RR 1.46 [95% CI 1.23, 1.74]) and were higher in women than men (women: least deprived, RR 2.84 [95% CI 2.12, 3.80]; most deprived, RR 2.04 [95% CI 1.55, 2.69]). A similar, weaker, pattern was observed for cerebrovascular mortality. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Absolute risk of cardiovascular mortality is higher in people with diabetes than in the non-diabetic population and increases with increasing deprivation. The relative impact of diabetes on cardiovascular mortality differs by SES, and further efforts to reduce cardiovascular risk both in deprived groups and people with diabetes are required. Prevention of diabetes may reduce socioeconomic health inequalities.

The effect of deprivation and HbA1c on admission to hospital for diabetic ketoacidosis in type 1 diabetes.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Diabetic ketoacidosis is a potentially life-threatening complication of diabetes and has a strong relationship with HbA(1c). We examined how socioeconomic group affects the likelihood of admission to hospital for diabetic ketoacidosis. METHODS: The Scottish Care Information - Diabetes Collaboration (SCI-DC), a dynamic national register of all cases of diagnosed diabetes in Scotland, was linked to national data on hospital admissions. We identified 24,750 people with type 1 diabetes between January 2005 and December 2007. We assessed the relationship between HbA(1c) and quintiles of deprivation with hospital admissions for diabetic ketoacidosis in people with type 1 diabetes adjusting for patient characteristics. RESULTS: We identified 23,479 people with type 1 diabetes who had complete recording of covariates. Deprivation had a substantial effect on odds of admission to hospital for diabetic ketoacidosis (OR 4.51, 95% CI 3.73, 5.46 in the most deprived quintile compared with the least deprived). This effect persisted after the inclusion of HbA(1c) and other risk factors (OR 2.81, 95% CI 2.32, 3.39). Men had a reduced risk of admission to hospital for diabetic ketoacidosis (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.63, 0.79) and those with a history of smoking had increased odds of admission to hospital for diabetic ketoacidosis by a factor of 1.55 (95% CI 1.36, 1.78). CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Women, smokers, those with high HbA(1c) and those living in more deprived areas have an increased risk of admission to hospital for diabetic ketoacidosis. The effect of deprivation was present even after inclusion of other risk factors. This work highlights that those in poorer areas of the community with high HbA(1c) represent a group who might be usefully supported to try to reduce hospital admissions.

Diabetic retinopathy at diagnosis of type 2 diabetes in Scotland.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of and risk factors for diabetic retinopathy in people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus, using Scottish national data. METHODS: We identified individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Scotland between January 2005 and May 2008 using data from the national diabetes database. We calculated the prevalence of retinopathy and ORs for risk factors associated with retinopathy at first screening. RESULTS: Of the 51,526 people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus identified, 91.4% had been screened by 31 December 2010. The median time to first screening was 315 days (interquartile range [IQR] 111-607 days), but by 2008 the median was 83 days (IQR 51-135 days). The prevalence at first screening of any retinopathy was 19.3%, and for referable retinopathy it was 1.9%. For individuals screened after a year the prevalence of any retinopathy was 20.5% and referable retinopathy was 2.3%. Any retinopathy at screening was associated with male sex (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.14, 1.25), HbA(1c) (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.06, 1.08 per 1% [11 mmol/mol] increase), systolic BP (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.05, 1.08 per 10 mmHg increase), time to screening (OR for screening >1 year post diagnosis = 1.12, 95% CI 1.07, 1.17) and obesity (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.82, 0.93) in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: The prevalence of retinopathy at first screening is lower than in previous UK studies, consistent with earlier diagnosis of diabetes. Most newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients in Scotland are screened within an acceptable interval and the prevalence of referable disease is low, even in those with delayed screening.

Managing acute medical admissions: the plight of the medical boarder.

In an ideal system, patients admitted acutely to hospital should have their care provided in an area with the most appropriate ward-based medical, nursing and allied professional staff profile. Frequently this does not happen due to the physical structure and organisation of our hospitals in Scotland. Acute medical admissions may be fitted in to the end of many different speciality ward areas while still under the care of a single internal medicine team - as 'medical boarders'. A survey of local medical and nursing staff revealed that a majority would not wish their relatives to be cared for in this way. It remains important to provide speciality beds for those patients who require them, but it is also necessary to develop a system that enables more patients to receive optimal care in the correct environment. In this article, we describe the issue, the problems created and some possible solutions.

Do men develop type 2 diabetes at lower body mass indices than women?

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: To describe the associations between age, sex and BMI at diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, and test the hypothesis that men are diagnosed with diabetes at lower average BMI than women of similar age. METHODS: Linear regression was used to estimate and compare the relationship between age and BMI at diagnosis among 51,920 men and 43,137 women included in a population-based diabetes register in Scotland for whom an index BMI measurement was taken within 1 year of diabetes diagnosis. We also examined HbA(1c) values by sex within the same timescale. RESULTS: Mean BMI closest to date of diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus was 31.83 kg/m(2) (SD 5.13) in men and 33.69 kg/m(2) (SD 6.43) in women. The inverse relationship between age and BMI at diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus was significantly steeper in women than in men (slope estimate in men -0.12 kg/m(2) per year [95% CI -0.13, -0.12] women -0.18 kg/m(2) per year [95% CI -0.18, -0.17], p < 0.0001 for formal test of interaction). Mean BMI difference was most marked at younger ages and narrowed with advancing age. However, HbA(1c) levels within 1 year of diagnoses were broadly similar in men and women. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Men are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at lower BMI than women across the age range. This observation may help explain why type 2 diabetes is more common among middle-aged men in populations of European extraction. Whether the same pattern is also observed in other ethnic groups requires confirmation.

Assessment of the under-reporting of diabetes in hospital admission data: a study from the Scottish Diabetes Research Network Epidemiology Group.

AIMS: Good quality data are required to plan and evaluate diabetes services and to assess progress against targets for reducing hospital admissions and bed days. The aim of this study was to assess the completeness of recording of diabetes in hospital admissions using recent national data for Scotland. METHODS: Data derived from linkage of the Scottish National Diabetes Register and hospital admissions data were analysed to assess the completeness of coding of diabetes in hospital inpatient admissions between 2000 and 2007 for patients identified with diabetes prior to hospital admission. RESULTS: In 2007, only 59% of hospital inpatient admissions for people previously diagnosed with diabetes mentioned diabetes, whereas over 99% of people with a mention of diabetes on hospital records were included in the diabetes register. The completeness of diabetes recording varied from 44 to 82% among mainland National Health Service Boards and from 34 to 89% among large general hospitals. Completeness of recording of diabetes as a co-morbidity also varied by primary diagnosis: 70 and 41% of admissions with coronary heart disease and cancer as the primary diagnosis mentioned co-existing diabetes, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: There is wide variation in the completeness of recording of diabetes in hospital admission data. Hospital data alone considerably underestimate the number of admissions and bed days but overestimate length of stay for people with diabetes. Linkage of diabetes register data to hospital admissions data provides a more accurate source for measuring hospital admissions among people diagnosed with diabetes than hospital admissions data.

Inpatient costs for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes in Scotland: a study from the Scottish Diabetes Research Network Epidemiology Group.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The rising prevalence of diabetes worldwide has increased interest in the cost of diabetes. Inpatient costs for all people with diabetes in Scotland were investigated. METHODS: The Scottish Care Information-Diabetes Collaboration (SCI-DC), a real-time clinical information system of almost all diagnosed cases of diabetes in Scotland, UK, was linked to data on all hospital admissions for people with diabetes. Inpatient stay costs were estimated using the 2007-2008 Scottish National Tariff. The probability of hospital admission and total annual cost of admissions were estimated in relation to age, sex, type of diabetes, history of vascular admission, HbA(1c), creatinine, body mass index and diabetes duration. RESULTS: In Scotland during 2005-2007, 24,750 people with type 1 and 195,433 people with type 2 diabetes were identified, accounting for approximately 4.3% of the total Scottish population (5.1 million). The estimated total annual cost of admissions for all people diagnosed with type 1 and type 2 diabetes was £26 million and £275 million, respectively, approximately 12% of the total Scottish inpatient expenditure (£2.4 billion). Sex, increasing age, serum creatinine, previous vascular history and HbA(1c) (the latter differentially in type 1 and type 2) were all associated with likelihood and total annual cost of admission. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Diabetes inpatient expenditure accounted for 12% of the total Scottish inpatient expenditure, whilst people with diabetes account for 4.3% of the population. Of the modifiable risk factors, HbA(1c) was the most important driver of cost in type 1 diabetes.

Implementing a national quality assurance system for diabetes care: the Scottish Diabetes Survey 2001-2006.

AIM: To create a standardized systematic quality assurance system for diabetes care throughout Scotland. METHODS: Each of 15 National Health Service (NHS) boards have submitted core diabetes data for a nationally agreed data specification on an annual basis since 2001. These data are collated to produce an annual national report. We describe the iterative progress of the work in obtaining and analysing this information. The setting was Scotland, with a population of 5 million. RESULTS: In Scotland in 2006, 196,801 people (3.9% of the population) were reported as having diabetes compared with 105,777 in 2001. In 2006 the prevalence of reported diabetes varied from 3.5 to 4.4% in different NHS board areas, reflecting variation in completeness of local registers as well as different demographic patterns. The completeness of recording of many clinical parameters has also increased. (2002 data n = 103,755: diagnosis date 77%, HbA(1c), blood pressure and cholesterol within 15 months 71, 67 and 60%, respectively, increasing to 98, 87, 89 and 85% by 2006, n = 196,801.) A national information management and technology solution (Scottish Collaborative Information-Diabetes Care), involving automatic daily collection of data from routinely used systems both in primary and secondary care, is now used to co-ordinate the collection of data in all NHS board areas. CONCLUSIONS: We have used routine data to estimate the prevalence of reported diabetes in Scotland, UK. This iterative approach to quality improvement has taken 6 years to achieve a baseline measure of care. There is potential to analyse these data further for a better understanding of the epidemiology of diabetes in Scotland. The national diabetes information technology system will contribute to this process.