Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government

VA Health Systems Research

Go to the VA ORD website
Go to the QUERI website

HSR&D Citation Abstract

Search | Search by Center | Search by Source | Keywords in Title

Chronic illness with complexity: implications for performance measurement of optimal glycemic control.

Meduru P, Helmer D, Rajan M, Tseng CL, Pogach L, Sambamoorthi U. Chronic illness with complexity: implications for performance measurement of optimal glycemic control. Journal of general internal medicine. 2007 Dec 1; 22 Suppl 3:408-18.

Dimensions for VA is a web-based tool available to VA staff that enables detailed searches of published research and research projects.

If you have VA-Intranet access, click here for more information vaww.hsrd.research.va.gov/dimensions/

VA staff not currently on the VA network can access Dimensions by registering for an account using their VA email address.
   Search Dimensions for VA for this citation
* Don't have VA-internal network access or a VA email address? Try searching the free-to-the-public version of Dimensions



Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between chronic illness with complexity (CIC) and optimal glycemic control. PARTICIPANTS: Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of Diabetes Epidemiologic Cohort database of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) users with diabetes, less than 75 years old, with HbA1c tests in fiscal year (FY) 1999 and 2000, alive at FY2000 end (N = 95,423). DESIGN/MEASUREMENTS: Outcomes were HbA1c < 7% in each FY. CIC included three domains: nondiabetes physical illness, diabetes-related, and mental illness/substance abuse conditions. Other independent variables included age, gender, race, marital status, VHA priority status, and diabetes severity. Longitudinal analyses were restricted to patients with HbA1c > or = 7% in FY1999 and included hospitalizations between final HbA1c's in FY1999 and FY2000. Multiple logistic regressions examined associations between CIC categories and HbA1c. RESULTS: In FY1999, 33% had HbA1c < 7%. In multivariate analyses, patients with nondiabetes physical illness and mental illness/substance abuse were more likely to have HbA1c < 7% in FY1999 [adjusted odds ratios for cancer (AOR), 1.31; 95% CI (1.25-1.37); mental illness only, 1.18; 95% CI (1.14-1.22)]. Those with diabetes-related complications were less likely to have HbA1c < 7% in FY1999. Associations generally held in FY2000. However, conditions in the mental illness/substance abuse complexity domain were less strongly associated with HbA1c < 7%. Macrovascular-related hospitalizations were positively associated with HbA1c < 7% [AOR, 1.41; 95% CI (1.34-1.49)]. CONCLUSIONS: The association between CIC and HbA1c < 7% is heterogeneous and depends on the domain of complexity. The varying associations of CIC categories with optimal glycemic control suggest the need for appropriate risk adjustment when using HbA1c < 7% as a valid performance measure for diabetes quality of care.





Questions about the HSR website? Email the Web Team

Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.