Aim: To establish a regional diabetes register in order to determine baseline data with which to monitor diabetes care in Otago, New Zealand.
Methods: All general practitioners (GPs) in Otago were invited to participate in the project. Diabetic patients were identified from GP diabetes registers and invited to participate in the project. Written consent was obtained before any data were transferred from general practices to the Otago Diabetes Register. An Access-based computer programme was developed to record and analyse patient data.
Results: In 1998, 1693 consenting diabetic patients were enrolled on the Otago Diabetes Register. The ratio of male to female patients was almost 1:1; the median age was 67 years; 11.9% had Type 1 diabetes and 86.5% had Type 2 diabetes; 44.5% were treated with hypoglycaemic tablets only and 25.6% were treated with insulin only. For those aged over 16 years, the mean systolic BP was 140.6 mmHg and the mean diastolic BP was 78.7 mmHg. 65.4% had undergone a retinal examination within the previous two years and 36.2% a feet examination within the previous year.
Conclusions: The 1998 data will be used to monitor changes in diabetic care over time. Ongoing patient recruitment and data collections will also assist with informing funding decisions for diabetes services and improving diabetes information in New Zealand.