The project aims to improve the capacity to prevent, detect and treat diabetes and reduce the burden of diabetes on the Chinese society.
Expected impact
8,600 health care professionals - doctors and nurses from 36 cities and 300 counties will be trained to implement the National Diabetes Prevention and Treatment Guidelines.
The Diabetes Management Model for different levels of care will be rolled out in initially 8 pilot cities and gradually tested to be extended to 30 cities.
Millions of people with diabetes will get better access to care with a possibility of long term reduction in rates of complications.
Results at project completion
11,128 doctors, nurses and health officials from more than 34 cities and 441 counties have been trained in implementing the guidelines for prevention and care of type 2 diabetes developed by the project.
A total of 8 hospital sites or community health centres have either piloted, launched or continue to work with the integrated model to manage diabetes systematically, ensuring referral procedures for screening of patients. 5,213 patients participated in the pilot project and demonstrated that diabetes and hypertension care was possible at community health care level.
Project details
In the World Diabetes Atlas (fourth edition), the number of people in China living with diabetes was estimated to be 43.2 million. However, a study published by the New England Journal of Medicine (March 2010) estimates the number to be as high as 92.4 million.
Among a nationally representative sample of 46,239 adults, 20 years of age or older, from 14 provinces and municipalities, the mentioned study found a 9.7% diabetes prevalence rate. The prevalence of diabetes was higher among urban residents than among rural residents.
Due to factors such as rapid modernisation and urbanisation taking place in the China, the prevalence rates in mainland China are now reaching the levels of Chinese living outside of mainland China (Hong Kong and Singapore).
Presently, China's overall diabetes detection and treatment capacity is limited. There is a severe shortage of medical staff qualified in diabetes.
Objective
The project aims to improve the capacity to prevent, detect and treat diabetes and reduce the burden of diabetes on the Chinese society.
Approach
It is the aim to create a diabetes care system which is useful and responsive to patient needs. It is hoped that a comprehensive diabetes care environment will attract the participation of all stakeholders. The objectives defined in the project's five-year plan are as follows:
Develop and widely disseminate the National Diabetes Prevention and Treatment Guideline which was initiated by the Ministry of Health who established a group of experts to prepare and develop the guideline. This part of the project is run and managed by the Chinese Diabetes Society (CDS), a professional body consisting of doctors. The objective for the guideline promotion is to standardise clinical practice in managing diabetes in different regions and at different levels and to train clinical practitioners to become aware of the guideline and how to apply and comply with it across the country. Over a period of five years 8600, health care professionals - doctors and nurses from 36 cities and 300 counties will be trained to implement the guidelines.
Explore and establish a community health centre-hospital integrated Diabetes Management Model adapted to the needs of different regions of China, and spread the successful experience of the pilots all over the country by creating and establishing a Diabetes Management Model for different levels of care. This part of the project is managed by the National Centre for Chronic and Non-communicable Disease Control and Prevention in the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under the Ministry of Health. It will explore models of best practice to integrate hospital services and community health services into one system so that continuous services related to diabetes management can be delivered to people with diabetes. This would be achieved through a comprehensive and intensive investigation into the current situation, with reference to international excellence and multi-site pilot studies. Starting with initially 8 pilot sites in 8 cities the models will be gradually tested extended to 30 sites over five years.
