Abstract
(1) Background: Although the beneficial impacts of primary care on patients’ health outcomes have been reported, it is still difficult to limit patients’ herd behavior in seeking tertiary or large hospital services in South Korea. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the use of primary care clinics was longitudinally beneficial for mild diabetes. (2) Methods: Using claims data from the National Health Insurance (NHI) program, this population-based retrospective cohort study compared health outcomes over a 4-year period from 2011 to 2015 by type of health care institution as a usual source of care in diabetic patients who were newly diagnosed in 2011, i.e., without any diagnosis between 2005 and 2010. (3) Results: Compared to those attending hospitals, general hospitals (GHs), or tertiary general hospitals (TGHs), patients who visited primary clinics were more likely to experience better health outcomes such as the lower risk of hospitalization and death. (4) Conclusions: These results provide additional evidence that higher-value from primary care clinics would be highly expected for early and mild type 2 diabetics. Promoting the Informed, patient-centered decision toward primary care clinics would contribute to improving the value of the healthcare delivery system.
Highlights
The number of patients diagnosed with diabetes has soared worldwide with strong economic growth and an improved standard of living, and the socioeconomic cost of diabetes is increasing rapidly [1]
Promoting the Informed, patient-centered decision toward primary care clinics would contribute to improving the value of the healthcare delivery system
This study indicates that clinics could be a more cost-effective option for newly diagnosed mild diabetes patients
Summary
The number of patients diagnosed with diabetes has soared worldwide with strong economic growth and an improved standard of living, and the socioeconomic cost of diabetes is increasing rapidly [1]. The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated diabetes as “one of four priority noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) targeted by world leaders” in the 2011 Political Declaration on the Prevention and Control of NCDs [1]. The. United States, British, and Australian governments and others have introduced active management programs centered on primary care, provisions for quality services, continuous management, and improved health outcomes for diabetic patients based on the latest scientific findings [5]. Diabetes is a typical ambulatory-care-sensitive condition for which timely and effective outpatient management can help to avoid complications and exacerbations and prevent hospitalization [6]. Primary care is of core importance for efficient diabetes management [7,8]
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