Study finds how simple multi-component diabetes care improves long-term outcomes in South Asian patients

NEW DELHI: A new study by the Centre for Cardiovascular Risk Reduction in South Asia (CARRS) has demonstrated significant long-term benefits of a multicomponent quality improvement (QI) strategy in managing diabetes">type 2 diabetes in India and Pakistan.

A multicomponent quality improvement strategy comprising task sharing and clinical decision support software (CDSS) with electronic health records.

The study, published in the journal PLOS Medicine, highlighted the sustained impact of QI interventions on diabetes care and associated complications over a median follow-up period of 6.5 years. With diabetes accounting for one in seven deaths in South Asia, the study provided unique insights into the sustainability of QI strategies in achieving diabetes care goals in low- and middle-income (LMICs) and the effects of these improvements on reducing vascular complications and diabetes-related deaths.

Diabetes control remains a global challenge, leading to severe complications such as heart disease, stroke, blindness / visual impairment, and kidney and nerve damage. With the LMICs often facing challenges such as inadequate infrastructure and trained healthcare staff with digital literacy, the study findings are crucial for integrating care models sustainably and identifying relevant organizational barriers. Previous studies from high-income countries showed improvements in diabetes care, but the long-term impact on vascular complications and mortality was unclear. This study aimed to address the critical gap in data regarding the long-term effectiveness of QI strategies and their effects on vascular complications in LMICs.

Professor Nikhil Tandon, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, and senior author of the study explained the relevance of these findings in the context of national efforts to combat non-communicable diseases (NCDs). He said, "The National Programme for NCDs [NP-NCDs] operationalised by the Government of India has already a functional portal which provides an electronic health record functionality. Integrating the CDSS in this portal will provide significant incremental benefit to the impact of the National Programme, and bolster governmental efforts to battle the scourge of NCDs including diabetes and hypertension".

Speaking about the findings, Professor and doctor Dorairaj Prabhakaran, Executive Director, CCDC and one of the study authors, said, "Through the CARRS trial, we've demonstrated that a sustained quality improvement strategy can significantly enhance diabetes care and reduce complications in South Asia. For every 13 patients treated with this strategy, one major adverse cardiovascular event like heart attacks or strokes- or a microvascular event -like eye disease or decline in kidney function- was prevented, showcasing its profound impact on patient outcomes."

Professor MK Ali, William H Foege Distinguished Professor of Global Health, Emory University, one of the key authors of this article, said: This study is an exemplar of trans-national collaboration for the benefit of both, the global south and global north.

The CARRS randomised clinical trial included 1,146 patients with poorly controlled diabetes">type 2 diabetes across ten outpatient diabetes clinics from January 2011 through September 2019. Participants were randomised to receive either the QI strategy, which involved trained non-physician care coordinators and a clinical decision support software (CDSS) integrated into the electronic health record form, for physicians, or usual care.

Sustained Risk Factor Control: At 6.5 years, patients in the QI strategy group were nearly twice as likely to achieve and maintain target levels for HbA1c (<7%), systolic blood pressure (<130mmHg), and LDL-cholesterol (<100mg/dl) compared to the usual care group.

Reduction in Microvascular Events: The incidence of first microvascular complications, such as diabetic eye disease, decline in kidney function, and nerve pain was notably 32 per cent lower in the QI group.

Total Vascular Events: There was a significant 28 per cent reduction in the combined occurrence of microvascular and macrovascular events in the QI group.

Importantly, these benefits were sustained only in clinics that continued the QI strategy for 6.5 years.

The CARRS trial provided compelling evidence that a multi-component QI strategy can lead to sustained improvements in diabetes management and reduce complications in urban South Asian settings. These findings hold promise for broader application in LMICs to enhance diabetes care quality and reduce the global burden of diabetes-related complications.