Development of the Clinic of Endocrinology, diabetes and metabolic disorders.

The Clinic of Endocrinology, diabetes and metabolic disorders was founded in 1975 by Prof d-r Alexandar Plashevski. Healthcare, educational and scientific activities in the Clinic of Endocrinology are performed in its departments. The Department for hospitalized diabetic and endocrine patients consists of the metabolic and endocrine intensive care unit, the department for diagnosis and treatment of diabetics and endocrine patients, day hospital, the department for education of diabetic patients, and the national center for insulin pump therapy. The Center for Diabetes was established in 1972 by Prof d-r Dimitar Arsov. In 1975, Prof d-r Alexandar Plasheski broadened the activities of the Center for Diabetes. It was dislocated in 1980, with new accommodation outside the clinic. Since then the Center has consisted of several organized units: two specialist outpatient clinics for diabetic patients, biochemical and endocrine laboratory, sub-departments for: diabetic foot, cardiovascular diagnosis, ophthalmology, and urgent interventions. The Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Disorders for outclinic endocrine patients was established in 1980, and it integrates the following sub-departments: thyrology, andrology, reproductive endocrinology, obesity and lipid disorders and sub-department for osteoporosis. The educational staff of the Clinic of Endocrinology organizes theoretical and practical education about Clinical Investigation and Internal Medicine with credit transfer system course of study of the Medical Faculty, Faculty of Stomatology, postgraduate studies, specializations and sub-specializations. Symposiums, 3 congresses, schools for diabetes and osteoporosis and continuous medical education were also organized. The Clinic of Endocrinology was initiator, organizer, founder and the seat of several medical associations.

Model of care for the management of complex Type 2 diabetes managed in the community by primary care physicians with specialist support: an open controlled trial.

AIMS: To evaluate patient outcomes for a novel integrated primary/specialist model of community care for complex Type 2 diabetes mellitus management compared with outcomes for usual care at a tertiary hospital for diabetes outpatients. METHODS: This was a prospective open controlled trial performed in a primary and tertiary care setting in Australia. A total of 330 patients with Type 2 diabetes aged >18 years were allocated to an intervention (n=185) or usual care group (n=145). The intervention arm was a community-based model of care led by a general practitioner with advanced skills and an endocrinologist partnership. Usual care was provided via the hospital diabetes outpatient department. The primary end point was HbA(1c) concentration at 12 months. Secondary end points included serum lipids and blood pressure. RESULTS: The mean change in HbA1c concentration in the intervention group was -9 mmol/mol (-0.8%) at 12 months and in the usual care group it was -2 mmol/mol (-0.2%) (95% CI -5,1). The percentage of patients in the intervention group achieving the HbA(1c) target of ≤53 mmol/mol (7%) increased from 21 to 42% (P<0.001); for the usual care group there was a 1% increase to 39% of patients attaining this target (P=0.99). Patients in the intervention group experienced significant improvements in blood pressure and total cholesterol compared with those in the usual care group. The percentage of patients achieving clinical targets was greater in the intervention group for the combined target of HbA(1c) concentration, blood pressure and LDL cholesterol. CONCLUSIONS: A community-based, integrated model of complex diabetes care, delivered by general practitioners with advanced skills, produced clinical and process benefits compared with a tertiary diabetes outpatient clinic.

A pediatric diabetes toolbox for creating centres of reference.

INTRODUCTION: ISPAD guidelines recommend age appropriate diabetes education concepts for young patients and their families as well as tools for nutritional management, psychosocial assessment, and psychological advice but their implementation in Europe is presently unknown. METHODS: On the basis of a structured survey among the European SWEET members information on established tools and programs in national languages were analyzed using an extensive literature and desk search. These were differentiated according to five age-groups and five target groups (young people with diabetes, parents, and other close relations, carers in school and nursery, and healthcare professionals). RESULTS: Responses and original tools were received from 11 SWEET countries reflecting the European status in 2011. More or less structured information for parents, close relations, and carers in school or nursery are available in all 11 participating countries. However, only two countries followed the recommendations of having published a structured, curriculum lead, and evaluated program for different age-groups and carers. One of these was evaluated nationwide and funded by the respective National Health Care System after accreditation. In addition a huge variety of creative tools, e.g., booklets, leaflets, games, videos, and material for educating children of different age-groups and their parents are available - but most of them are not linked to a structured education program. CONCLUSIONS: Harmonizing and integrating these materials into quality assured structured holistic national education programs will be an important future task for the ongoing SWEET project. A comprehensive European diabetes educational toolbox is aimed to be published and continuously updated on the SWEET website.