Benchmarking Is Associated With Improved Quality of Care in Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE To assess prospectively the effect of benchmarking on quality of primary care for patients with type 2 diabetes by using three major modifiable cardiovascular risk factors as critical quality indicators.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Primary care physicians treating patients with type 2 diabetes in six European countries were randomized to give standard care (control group) or standard care with feedback benchmarked against other centers in each country (benchmarking group). In both groups, laboratory tests were performed every 4 months. The primary end point was the percentage of patients achieving preset targets of the critical quality indicators HbA_1c, LDL cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure (SBP) after 12-months follow-up. read more