Table 3 Summary of the quality improvement project 'Diabetic clinic'

Diabetic clinic

At one facility there was no clearly defined diabetic clinic, yet the hospital served may diabetic patients

apparently there had been a diabetic clinic some years back but when the medical officer responsible for it left it was not continued by the new officers

1. To formally start a diabetic clinic

2. Have clear standards of care expected for each diabetic patient attending the clinic, such as scheduling of routine tests like renal function tests and referrals for eye examinations

3. ensure checklists used for each visit to screen for complications

4. use above tools as part of the data collection

5. evaluate the project

1. Sensitisation of the care team about the diabetic clinic. This included nurses, laboratory technicians, dietician/nutritionists, pharmacy, medical practitioners, physiotherapists, and counsellors

2. short interactive case discussions

3. Some members attended external courses on clinical care of patients with diabetes

1. A formal diabetes register was created

2. Record keeping for patients was improved, was done using tools that had been long available but seldom used

3. Was better compliance with national treatment guidelines and standards of care

4. Was improved follow-up tracking and earlier referrals for those with complications