RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Management of Type 2 Diabetes in the Primary Care Setting: A Practice-Based Research Network Study JF The Annals of Family Medicine JO Ann Fam Med FD American Academy of Family Physicians SP 23 OP 31 DO 10.1370/afm.420 VO 4 IS 1 A1 Stephen J. Spann A1 Paul A. Nutting A1 James M. Galliher A1 Kevin A. Peterson A1 Valory N. Pavlik A1 L. Miriam Dickinson A1 Robert J. Volk YR 2006 UL http://www.annfammed.org/content/4/1/23.abstract AB PURPOSE We wanted to describe how primary care clinicians care for patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS We undertook a cross-sectional study of 95 primary care clinicians and 822 of their established patients with type 2 diabetes from 4 practice-based, primary care research networks in the United States. Clinicians were surveyed about their training and practice. Patients completed a self-administered questionnaire about their care, and medical records were reviewed for complications, treatment, and diabetes-control indicators. RESULTS Participating clinicians (average age, 45.7 years) saw an average of 32.6 adult patients with diabetes per month. Patients (average age, 59.7 years) reported a mean duration of diabetes of 9.1 years, with 34.3% having had the disease more than 10 years. Nearly one half (47.5%) of the patients had at least 1 diabetes-related complication, and 60.8% reported a body mass index greater than 30. Mean glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level was 7.6% (SD 1.73), and 40.5% of patients had values <7%. Only 35.3% of patients had adequate blood pressure control (<130/85 mm Hg), and only 43.7% had low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels <100 mg/dL. Only 7.0% of patients met all 3 control targets. Multilevel models showed that patient ethnicity, practice type, involvement of midlevel clinicians, and treatment were associated with HbA1c level; patient age, education level, and practice type were associated with blood pressure control; and patient ethnicity was associated with LDL-C control. CONCLUSIONS Only modest numbers of patients achieve established targets of diabetes control. Reengineering primary care practice may be necessary to substantially improve care.