Glycemic control improved through nurse-led care

A new study suggests that GP practices with nurse-led diabetes clinics help patients achieve significantly better blood sugar control than those without nurse-led care.
Researchers in Denmark carried examined data from 193 GP practices and nearly 13,000 patients with type 2 diabetes aged between 40 and 80 years old. They also assessed the nurse-led care provided at their practice and the patients HbA1c (haemoglobin A1c) levels.
Three out of four of the GP practices had a practice nurse, and of these, 61 per cent provided individual consultations with the nurse for diabetic patients.
In practices with well-implemented nurse-led clinics, three-quarters of patients had their HbA1c levels checked during the study period, and of these, 17.2 per cent had an HbA1c value of 8 per cent (10 mmol/L) or more.
By comparison, 68 per cent of individuals in practices with no practice nurses had an alarmingly-high mean blood glucose reading of 20.8mmol/L (HbA1c >13per cent); while in practices with nurses who did not provide any independent diabetes consultations, 72 per cent had an average reading of 17.6 mmol/L.
The authors concluded: “The results suggest that involving nurses in type 2 diabetes care is associated with improved quality of diabetes management.”