Quality of diabetes care at Armed Forces Hospital, Southern Region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 2006

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the current status of care provided by the Diabetes Center at Armed Forces Hospital, Southern Region. Materials and Methods: A total of 260 patients were randomly selected from the diabetic patients attending the Diabetes Center. Study tools comprised patients' data sheets and patients' interview questionnaire. Results: Two-thirds of the patients were aged 50 years or more. Half of patients had had the disease for less than 10 years. Diet therapy alone was followed by 2.3% of diabetic patients. More than half of patients (56.5%) were on insulin. Most of the diabetic patients were tested for HbA1c at least once per year (88.1%), and 71.5% had their lipid profile done at least once within two years. Low indicators included having a dilated eye examination (35.4%), assessment for nephropathy (28.8%), and having a well-documented foot examination (12.7%). Highest risk HbA1c level (>9.5%)was reached by 38.8% of patients, 48.8% had a low-density lipoprotein level of <130 mg/dl, and 36.5% of patients had controlled blood pressure (<= 130/80 mmHg). Most patients were satisfied with their interaction with the treating doctor, 41.5% were satisfied with access to treatment. Hypertension was found to be the most frequent comorbidity (38.5%). Conclusion: The quality of services as regard to process and outcome are low at the Diabetes Center. The overall diabetic patients' satisfaction was high, whereas their satisfaction was low as regards to access to treatment or health professionals.