A Canadian consensus for the standardized evaluation of quality improvement interventions in type 2 diabetes

OBJECTIVE: Quality improvement interventions for type 2 diabetes mellitus are common, although rigorous evaluation of these interventions has generally been limited. The role of diabetes clinical practice guidelines is to bring together the best available evidence for the management of the disease. In order to effectively implement guidelines, healthcare providers need guidance on how to evaluate the implementation of the various recommendations, on which targets and indicators are most crucial, and the degree to which improvements might be realistically achieved through quality-improvement efforts. METHODS: Standard consensus methods were was used to develop a set of quality indicators for the evaluation of quality improvement efforts for adults with type 2 diabetes. RESULTS: A set of minimum quality indicators was developed. These indicators are intended to be used in concert with the Canadian Diabetes Association 2003 clinical practice guidelines to aid in the evaluation and comparison of different implementation strategies and quality improvement interventions. CONCLUSION: This set of quality indicators may be useful for both translation research in diabetes as well as assessments of quality of diabetes care by healthcare systems.