Association of deprivation, ethnicity, and sex with quality indicators for diabetes: population based survey of 53 000 patients in primary care

Abstract Objectives To determine the effect of deprivation and ethnicity on the achievement of quality indicators for patients with diabetes and the extent of any inequalities between the sexes. Design Population based cross sectional survey using electronic general practice records. Setting 237 UK practices contributing to the QRESEARCH database. Participants 54 180 patients with diabetes, derived from a population of 1.8 million patients. Main outcome measures Adjusted odds ratios for 18 indicators for diabetes from the new general medical services contract for UK general practitioners and comparisons between patients from the most deprived and most affluent fifths (areas of high and low ethnicity) and between men and women. Results The prevalence of diabetes was 3.0%, and there was a large variation between practices in achievement of indicators. Compared with patients from affluent areas, those from deprived areas were less likely to have body mass index and smoking status recorded. They were also less likely to have records for HbA 1c concentration; an HbA 1c value Conclusions Practices in areas of high deprivation and high ethnicity will have to work harder to achieve the quality indicators for diabetes, and it is possible that those practices that most need the resources are the ones least likely to get them.