Effectevaluatie van transmurale diabeteszorg in Nederland

The Ministry of Health wants to improve the quality of diabetes care in the Netherlands by improving the coordination between health care providers. This coordination between health care providers (like general practitioners, specialised diabetes nurses, specialist and dieticians, etc.) takes place in transmural diabetes care projects. During the last years, many transmural diabetes care projects were already set up by the health care providers themselves. The Ministry of Health has asked the RIVM to investigate to what extent the diabetes transmural care projects have improved the care of patients with diabetes mellitus. Transmural diabetes care result in a better control of patients with diabetes mellitus. In addition, we investigate what the effects of transmural care were on patient outcomes like blood glucose level (Hba1c), blood pressure, cholesterol and bodyweight (BMI). Transmural care lowers the Hba1c levels and probably also have positive effects on the cholesterol level of patients with diabetes mellitus. We could be, however, less conclusive about on cardiovascular risk factors and diabetes related complications like a diabetic foot, eye complications or cardiovascular diseases. It is likely that good Hba1c levels and cholesterol levels will lower the number of diabetes related complications, since high Hba1c and cholesterol levels are risk factors for diabetes related complications. Although transmural care project has resulted in improvements in Hba1c and cholesterol levels, still improvements can be made, mainly on the prevention of cardiovascular risk factors (blood pressure and body weight)