[Follow-up of patients with type 2 diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic: A multicentre study in Primary Care]

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic meant measures had to be taken that implied the neglect of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Objectives: to explore the impact of care discontinuity on patients with T2D in Primary Care (PC) centres, who did not have a specific action protocol for them, during 2020 and 2021.

Design: Multicenter retrospective observational study.

Participants: Patients with T2D in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.

Main measurements: Sex and age, follow-up variables of atherosclerotic vascular disease detection and control programme (pEVA), compliance with the control objectives and visits to the family practitioner and community nurse were extracted from their medical records.

Results: 3,543 participants took part in the study, 1,772 (50%) women, 2,204 (62%) of whom were older than 65 years of age. The vast majority of registered activities and control objectives decreased in 2020, recovering in 2021 without reaching 2019 levels. In 2020, telephone consultations increased and in-person consultations decreased, a trend that remained unchanged in 2021 for telephone consultations. Women and those over 65 years of age presented higher frequentation, more activity records and achievement of control objectives in most of the parameters.

Conclusions: The pandemic caused an overload in the PCs that affected the care of patients with T2D, which has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. Young men are the target for prioritization of this care. Anti-pandemic measures have led to an increase in telephone consultations, a resource that should be strengthened.

Keywords: Atención Primaria de salud; COVID-19; Community nurse; Diabetes mellitus tipo 2; Enfermera comunitaria; General practitioner; Médico de familia; Primary Health Care; Type 2 diabetes.