Effects of Government Supervision on Quality of Integrated Diabetes Care A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

Objectives:The quality of integrated diabetes care is important for reducing the burden of diabetes. Therefore, we have evaluated the effect of a supervision program on the quality of integrated diabetes care in the Netherlands in the 2011-2012 period.Methods:In this cluster RCT, the supervision program was assigned to randomly selected care groups providing care to diabetes patients. The supervision program included announcements of inspections, site visits, and sending individualized reports. Indicators of effectiveness were derived from the structures, processes, and outcomes of care. These indicators were collected from patients' files, before and after the supervision program. Hierarchical linear and logistic regression models were used to analyze data from 356 patients of 10 intervention and 8 control care groups.Results:Structures and processes of care did not improve more in the intervention groups than in the control care groups. Moreover, health outcomes did not improve more in the intervention groups than in the control care groups. Although structures of care improved over time in the total population of intervention and control care groups, there were no changes in process of care or health outcomes.Conclusions:In this cluster RCT, we could not demonstrate improvements in quality of integrated diabetes care resulting from the supervision program. Although structures of care did improve over time, other quality-improvement initiatives are necessary to substantially strengthen integrated care for diabetes patients

Influência de características gerais na qualidade de vida de pacientes com doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica Influence of general clinical parameters on the quality of life of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients

INTRODUÇÃO: Não há consenso a respeito dos fatores que influenciam a qualidade de vida nos portadores de doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica (DPOC). Entretanto, a sua determinação pode nortear abordagens que visem à melhora da qualidade de vida desses pacientes. OBJETIVO: Avaliar fatores que podem interferir na qualidade de vida de pacientes com DPOC selecionados para reabilitação pulmonar. MÉTODO: Foram avaliados vinte e um pacientes com doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica moderada a grave. Pressão inspiratória máxima (PImax), teste de caminhada de seis minutos (TC6), composição corpórea, função pulmonar, gases sangüíneos, dinamometria de membros superiores, força muscular de quadríceps e questionário de qualidade de vida do Hospital Saint George (SGRQ) foram estudados. RESULTADOS: Foram observadas correlações negativas estatisticamente significativas entre as seguintes variáveis: escore do domínio "Impacto" com o volume expiratório forçado no primeiro segundo (VEF1) (r = -0,68; p = 0,004), relação entre VEF1 e capacidade vital forçada (VEF1/CVF) (r = -0,61; p = 0,014), pico de fluxo expiratório (PFE) (r = -0,53; p = 0,015), TC6 (r = -0,63; p = 0,001) e índice de massa corpórea (IMC) (r = -0,64; p = 0,002); escore do domínio "Atividades" com PImax (r = -0,57; p = 0,007), saturação de O2 (SpO2) (r = -0,52; p = 0,018) e TC6 (r = -0,58; p = 0,007); escore do domínio "Sintomas" com IMC (r = -0,60; p = 0,005); e escore "Total" com VEF1 (r = -0,64; p = 0,01), PFE (r = -0,47; p = 0,033) e IMC (r = -0,57; p = 0,009). A regressão múltipla linear indicou como principais variáveis independentes o IMC, com influência significativa nos domínios sintomas (p = 0,002), impacto (p = 0,009) e no escore total (p = 0,024), e o TC6, com influência significativa nos domínios atividades (p = 0,048) e impacto (p = 0,010). CONCLUSÕES: O IMC e o TC6 tiveram influência nos índices de qualidade de vida. Portanto, estas variáveis devem ser consideradas nas estratégias para melhorar a qualidade de vida de pacientes com doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica.<br>BACKGROUND: There is currently no consensus regarding which factors influence the quality of life of patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, identifying such factors could orient approaches to improving the quality of the lives of these patients. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate factors that can interfere with quality of life in COPD patients selected for pulmonary rehabilitation. METHODS: Twenty-one patients with moderate to severe COPD were evaluated. Maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), 6-minute walk test (6MWT), body mass index (BMI), pulmonary function, blood gases, grip strength (measured with a dynamometer), quadriceps strength and St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) scores were assessed. RESULTS: Statistically significant negative correlations with quality of life were found for the following factors: "impact" scores of: forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) (r = -0.68; p = 0.004), FEV1 to forced vital capacity ratio (FEV1/FVC) (r = -0.61; p = 0.014), peak expiratory flow (PEF) (r = -0.53 (p = 0.015), 6MWT (r = -0.63; p = 0.001) and BMI (r = -0.64; p = 0.002); "activity" scores for: MIP (r = -0.57; p = 0.007), baseline arterial oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry (SpO2) (r = -0.52; p = 0.018) and 6MWT (r = -0.58; p = 0.007); "symptom" score for: BMI (r = -0.60; p = 0.005); and "total" scores for: FEV1 (r = -0.64; p = 0.01), PEF (r = -0.47; p = 0.033) and BMI (r = -0.57; p = 0.009). Multiple linear regression revealed the primary factors influencing quality of life to be: BMI, which presented a significant influence on "symptom", "impact" and "total" scores (p = 0.002, p = 0.009 and p = 0.024, respectively); and 6MWT, which had a significant influence on "activity" and "impact" scores (p = 0.048 and p = 0.010, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The BMI and 6MWT were shown to have an influence on quality of life in the COPD patients studied. Therefore, therapeutic approaches to improving the quality of life of COPD patients should take these indices into consideration