Background: Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common diseases in the Thai population, and it is well known that diabetic complications could be prevented with appropriate management. Despite published guidelines, most Thai patients with diabetes do not achieve treatment goals. Siriraj Continuity of Care clinic (CC clinic) was recently established in order to provide training for medical students and internal medicine residents. It is possible that the training component in the CC clinic may contribute to better overall outcomes in type 2 diabetes mellitus (type 2 DM) patients when compared with usual care at the medical out-patient department (OPD).
Objective: To compare the effectiveness of diabetic management in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients who attended the CC clinic and the medical OPD.
Material and Method: Retrospective chart review was performed in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients who were treated at either clinic at Siriraj Hospital in 2007-2011. Baseline demographics, treatment strategies and outcomes, and participation in an appropriate health maintenance program were assessed in both groups.
Results: Seven hundred and fifty seven medical records were reviewed, including 383 patients in the CC clinic group and 374 in the OPD group. Mean HbA1c was significantly lower in the CC clinic group compared with the OPD group (7.3+0.9% and 7.8+1.3%, respectively, p<0.001). The number of patients who achieved goal HbA1c of less than 7% in CC clinic group was 123 (32.1%) compared with 91 (24.3%) in the OPD group (p = 0.039). More patients were screened for diabetic complications in the CC clinic group compared with the OPD group, including screening for diabetic neuropathy (57.4% vs. 2.1%, p<0.001), diabetic retinopathy (56.7% vs. 36.6%, p<0.001), and diabetic nephropathy (80.9% vs. 36.9%, p<0.001). Patients in the CC clinic group had a higher rate of age-appropriate cancer screening than those in the OPD group (54.2% vs. 13.3%, p<0.001 for breast cancer; 24.0% vs. 0.9%, p<0.001 for cervical cancer; and 23.0% vs. 7.4%, p<0.001 for colon cancer). Moreover, significantly more patients in the CC clinic group received recommended immunization (influenza, diphtheria tetanus and pneumococcal vaccine) compared with the control group (p<0.001).
Conclusion: Diabetic patients treated at the CC clinic had better clinical outcomes and healthcare maintenance compared with those who received usual care at the medical OPD. Continuity of care and integrated training component may have contributed to the improved outcomes.

Keywords: Effectiveness, Continuity of care clinic, Diabetes mellitus