A cluster randomised controlled trial of educational prompts in diabetes care: study protocol

BACKGROUND Laboratory services have a central role in supporting screening, diagnosis, and management of patients. The increase in chronic disease management in primary care for conditions such as diabetes mellitus requires regular monitoring of patients' biochemical parameters. This process offers a route for improving the quality of care that patients receive by using test results as a vehicle for delivering educational messages as well as the test result itself. AIM To develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a quality improvement initiative to improve the care of patients with diabetes using test report reminders. DESIGN A programme of four cluster randomised controlled trials within one population of general practices. PARTICIPANTS General practices in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. INTERVENTION Brief educational messages added to paper and electronic general practice laboratory test reports introduced over two phases. Phase One messages, attached to Haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) reports, targeted glycaemic and cholesterol control. Phase Two messages, attached to albumin:creatinine ratio (ACR) reports, targeted blood pressure (BP) control and foot inspection. OUTCOMES General practice mean levels of HbA1c and cholesterol (Phase One) and diastolic and systolic BP and proportions of patients having undergone foot inspections (Phase Two); number of tests requested.