Diabetes and endocrinology clinical quality indicators

The clinical quality indicators for diabetes and endocrinology are:

 

Diabetes in pregnancy

The proportion of expectant mothers with diabetes who received pre-pregnancy counselling prior to falling pregnant.

Rationale

Poor diabetes control prior to conception is associated with worse pregnancy outcomes. Attendance at pre-pregnancy counselling improves diabetes control.

The Royal Free has a pre-pregnancy counselling service run by a team of specialists including a diabetes nures, midwife, specialist dietitian and consultants in diabetes and obstetrics.

Our objectives

We will aim for at least 80% of women with diabetes to have received pre-pregnancy counselling.

Comment on current performance

Expected in Summer 2014.

 

Diabetic foot management

The proportion of diabetic patients with new acute foot problems who are assessed by the diabetic foot team within 24 hours of referral.

Our diabetic foot team consists of:

  • podiatrist
  • consultant vascular surgeon
  • consultant diabetes physician
  • infectious disease physician
  • orthopaedic surgeon
  • plastic surgeon

Graph

Rationale

Prompt treatment of acute foot problems in diabetic patients by a multi-disciplinary foot team reduces the need for major amputation.

Our objectives

We will aim to see over 80% of diabetic patients with new acute foot problems within 24 hours of referral.

Comment on current performance

We have not yet met our objective for this metric. We have identified in-patient diabetes care as one of our three quality improvement priorities for 2014/15.

Source: National in-patient diabetes audit 2013 (published March 2014)