Aims: To evaluate an intervention to improve diabetes care in government-run heath centres in Trinidad and Tobago over 5 years.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 690 subjects with clinical diabetes attending nine health centres was carried out in 1993. The intervention was: reports to the Ministry of Health, dissemination of management guidelines and annual training workshops for healthcare staff. Re-evaluation was through a survey of 1579 subjects with diabetes, attending 23 health centres in 1998.
Results: Comparing 1993 with 1998, foot examinations in the previous year increased from 38 (6%) to 346 (22%) and fundoscopy from 6 (1%) to 139 (9%). For subjects attending for 1 year or less, 34/96 (35%) had dietary advice recorded in 1993 compared with 77/143 (54%) in 1998. Exercise advice was recorded for 3/96 (3%) in 1993 and 48/143 (34%) in 1998. In 1993, 329 (48%) were taking chlorpropamide but this fell to 57 (4%) in 1998. Glibenclamide use increased from 214 (31%) to 856 (54%) and gliclazide from four (1%) to 205 (13%). In 1993, 198/338 (56%) of hypertensive subjects were taking Brinerdin, this fell to 56/829 (7%) in 1998 while use of thiazide diuretics, methyldopa and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors increased. There were no changes in indicators of metabolic control, blood pressure control or body weight.
Conclusions: Use of audit data to inform health policy and practice, linked with educational interventions, may modify patterns of care in government-run primary care health centres in a middle-income country with a high prevalence of diabetes.